Trump's Own Faithful Warn Republicans Ahead of the Midterms: Prices and War Fuel the Frustration
Ahead of the US midterm elections, some of President Donald Trump's most loyal supporters are sending a warning to Republicans. Outside his rally in Sioux City, Iowa, supporters said they still back the party, but voiced growing concern over high prices, the ongoing war in Iran and gridlock in Congress.
Trump and Republicans ran on a platform of lowering inflation, halting 'forever wars' and repairing an economy they say was wrecked by former President Joe Biden. But prices are still high, the war in Iran is still ongoing, and a spike in fuel prices has stuck around heading into the November 3 vote.
Trump's Sioux City rally was held to shore up support for Rep. Ashley Hinson of Iowa, who is locked in a tightening Senate race against state Rep. Josh Turek. Supporters who spoke at the rally still backed Republicans, but expressed hope that change would come soon.
Iowa voter Beth Fitzl said she did not agree with everything Trump does, 'but in the end, he's here for us.' Explaining her faith, she added: 'He's like the Packers, OK? They may be getting in deep, but they always pull it off in the end, and I truly think he's going to do something to turn it around.'
Chuck Jones, a veteran and Purple Heart recipient who travelled from Minnesota for the rally, was frustrated by the divisive, tribal nature of politics. 'These politicians, they're fighting for one thing on one side, and other people are fighting for something on the other side, but there's nobody sitting at the table in the middle,' he said.
Asked whether Republicans and Trump needed to do something different if they hold onto control of Washington after the election, Jones said: 'I think it's time that we're going to have to show some difference, because people aren't happy with the way things have been in the last few years. They're going to have to work together instead of fighting each other.'
Hinson's race is one of six Senate toss-ups Republicans are trying to hold. She and Turek are vying for the seat of Sen. Joni Ernst, who opted to retire from the upper chamber last year.
Their race, like others this cycle, has become surprisingly close, given that Trump won the state in 2024 by roughly 13 points and has won it every time he has been on the ballot.
Dawn Stanley, an Iowa voter who has voted for Trump in each of the last three elections, still planned to support him and Hinson. She said Turek had not 'showed up' for Iowa, noting he had been absent from the state legislature 42 percent of the time — missing 261 votes between January and May this year while on the campaign trail.
Still, her biggest frustration with Republicans was their inability to pass the SAVE America Act, the voter ID and election security legislation that has been consistently blocked by Senate Democrats. 'I really do think it comes down to the SAVE Act,' she said.
Others worried about Democrats regaining power and feared Republicans might simply stay home on November 3. Kurt, who travelled from South Dakota for the rally, put it plainly: 'We need to get the people out to vote. Republican people need to get out the vote. They stay home too much.'
The picture that emerges is clear: Trump's base still has his back, but that support increasingly comes with conditions — lower prices, an end to the war, and results in Washington. As the midterms approach, turning these supporters out on Election Day is the Republicans' central challenge.
