After the GOP’s setback in Virginia, prospects may not look favorable for President Donald Trump, potentially boosting Democrats in their bid to win control of the narrowly divided House of Representatives in the midterms. CNN analyst Harry Enten discussed the issue, outlining potential challenges for Trump and Republicans.
According to the Daily Beast, Enten shed more light on the topic, appearing on ‘The Source with Kaitlan Collins,’ “Democrats are basically going to lock Republicans out of power in a state where Donald Trump got 46 percent of the vote back in 2024,” Enten revealed. “House seats: Republicans in Virginia are only going to really end up with nine percent. That is quite the imbalance that‘s going on here.”
However, Trump political director James Blair expressed confidence about the GOP’s midterm results. According to The Hill, Blair spoke in depth about the subject in a conversation with CNN anchor Dana Bash. “We’re not ignorant of the history of the midterms, obviously, right, but it’s way too soon to declare defeat,” Blair said. Further, stating, “Republicans are in the fight. We have a record to run on, unlike the Biden administration … and again, our party holds the edge on issues that voters care about.”
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Despite Blair’s confidence, data suggest that as the ongoing Iran War continues, Donald Trump’s approval rating will continue to tank. According to Reuters-Ipsos, which conducted the polls, Trump’s “overall approval ratings are hovering in the mid-30s, at 36 per cent, 35 per cent and 33 per cent, respectively, which are near his lowest numbers.”
When asked about the concerningly low approval ratings, Blair declined to comment, stating that “he had not read that poll specifically.” Blair further explained that voters will prioritize the issues they care about and vote for the party that will work to fix them. “Republicans still maintain the edge, and the midterms are going to be about who you trust more to deal with these issues that they care about? Republicans in Congress or Democrats in Congress?” Blair said.
“It’s not about making it a referendum on the president or not. It comes down to the policies that President Trump and the Republicans have put in place.” Donald Trump made a post on his Truth Social account, as he wrote: “VIRGINIA, VOTE ‘NO’ TO SAVE YOUR COUNTRY!” That said, according to Enten, Democrats may have already gotten a “jump up ahead” because of Virginia’s “yes” vote. Virginia’s vote leads to fairer or more Democratic-friendly districts, and with the House so close, even a tiny shift gives them an early advantage.
Congratulations, Virginia! Republicans are trying to tilt the midterm elections in their favor, but they haven’t done it yet. Thanks for showing us what it looks like to stand up for our democracy and fight back.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 22, 2026
“That‘s how many seats they could lose on a vote before losing the majority. Now all of a sudden we’re talking about Democrats gaining one, two, three seats, four seats in Virginia,” Enten revealed. “The simple math here is that four is greater than two without Democrats needing to pick up any more seats. This would eliminate the Republican majority and instill a democratic majority because the margins are so tight.”
