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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
David Smith in Washington

Dragged down by an unpopular president, Republicans are bracing for a midterm trouncing

An elderly man in front of a large US flag.
The prevailing image of the Trump presidency is of a driver asleep at the wheel. Photograph: Patrick Smith/Getty Images

It was a wake-up call for America. In January, Donald Trump took the oath of office, declared himself “saved by God to make America great again” and issued a barrage of executive orders. In the ensuing months the US president and his allies moved at breakneck speed and seemed indomitable.

But as 2025 draws to a close with Trump struggling to stay awake at meetings, the prevailing image is of a driver asleep at the wheel. Opinion polls suggest that Americans are turning against him. Republicans are heading for the exit ahead of congressional contests next November that look bleak for the president’s party.

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