President Trump on Sunday predicted that Republicans might ride a “Red Wave” to sweeping victories in the midterm elections, even as polls continue to show Democrats in the lead.
“We are winning on just about every front and for that reason there will not be a Blue Wave, but there might be a Red Wave!” Trump tweeted.
{mosads}Trump touted his presidential approval rating, particularly on the economy and military. He did not cite any specific poll or numbers, but claimed he has better poll numbers than former President Obama had at the same time in his presidency, “by far.”
The Gallup Poll, which tracks presidential approval rating on a weekly basis, shows that Obama had an approval rating of 45 percent at roughly this time in his presidency.
Trump’s most recent approval rating in the Gallup Poll sat at 40 percent. A RealClearPolitics average of major polls shows Trump with a 43 percent approval rating. The president has typically received higher marks from members of his own party, as well as on economic issues.
Democrats have won a number of special elections and state races in districts where Trump won in 2016, prompting speculation that a so-called blue wave will allow the party to retake control of the House and Senate.
A RealClearPolitics average of major polls tracking the generic congressional ballot for 2018 shows Democrats with a roughly 7-point lead over Republicans.
The president has steadily waded further into the midterm campaign scene in recent weeks in an effort to bolster Republican Senate candidates and a small number of House candidates.
Trump told Sean Hannity in a recent radio interview that he intends to campaign “six or seven days a week” for Republicans as the midterm elections near.
He held campaign-style rallies last week in Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio. The latter was focused on embracing GOP congressional candidate Troy Balderson, who is running in a hotly contested special election on Tuesday.
Prior to that, he has made appearances in Tennessee, Indiana, Montana and North Dakota.