Former GOP rep: ‘Trump did everything he could to help Republicans lose’

Former Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.) said Sunday that during this summer, President Trump “did everything he could to help Republicans lose” the upcoming midterms.

“Well, I think elections are won in the summer, and we’re now here in late September. And Donald Trump did everything he could to help Republicans lose over the summer,” Comstock said on MS NOW’s “The Weekend.”

“You know, starting with the [Iran] war, continuing all through the summer, which led the gas prices to be, you know, $4.49, and the war is not popular at all, and, of course, you know, now we have 7 percent interest rates,” she added.

As the midterms near, the president and his party are in a bit of an electoral pickle. Trump’s approval rating has slumped, the unpopular war in Iran hit the seven-month mark Monday, Democrats have outperformed Republicans in recent polling and there are widespread concerns about the economy as Election Day nears.

According to a polling average from Decision Desk HQ, Trump’s approval rating was sitting at 39.4 percent Monday morning, while his disapproval rating was 59.1 percent.

Comstock also referenced the Iran war’s effect on energy costs, with the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for the oil industry, closed amid the fighting. According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of regular gas in the U.S. Monday morning was about $4.48 , up from around $3.13 last year.

And last week , the average 30-year mortgage rate surpassed 7 percent, marking the first time it has done so since January 2025.

Multiple Republicans in the heartland have broken with the president on unpopular policies, with Republicans anxious about dealing with backlash from them in the midterms.

Lawmakers and candidates in Iowa, Michigan and Ohio have pushed for a rapid end to the war in Iran amid high gas and diesel costs as well as the increasing unpopularity of the conflict.

Reached for comment, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said in a statement that “no one can dispute the fact that President Trump has created one of the most robust coalitions in political history with the MAGA movement, and the President understands how to communicate with them.”