Trump says ‘it’s possible’ Iran war could cost him the midterms

President Trump on Thursday said “it’s possible” the Iran war could cost him the November midterm elections by risking Republican control of the House, Senate or both.

“Well, it’s possible. It should help,” Trump told reporters outside the White House before heading to a campaign rally in the Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma. “Because Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. So when you say, ‘Is it OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon?’ I would say 100 percent of the people say no, including worldwide. So, when you say it that way, it would help. If you don’t say that, it could hurt.”

The president answered a question referring to comments his daughter-in-law Lara Trump made on the YouTube talk show “Harry Cole Saves the West,” where she said the conflict could cost the president the midterms and possibly his legacy.

“I think Donald Trump’s legacy has yet to be written and I think that, in a lot of ways, maybe –– I still say he’s going to go down in history as one of the greatest presidents –– if not, the greatest America has ever seen,” she said.

Lara Trump said Iran is “absolutely” holding out until the midterm elections, though Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has claimed he wants a deal before November.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard earlier this week urged Americans who oppose the president to politically hurt him in the midterms, suggesting it could lead to peace between the two countries.

President Trump also told reporters Thursday on the White House’s South Lawn that Iran “ won’t exist any longer ” unless it signs “a very fair deal.” It is the latest of multiple threats where he has threatened Iran’s existence, remarks that lawmakers alleged earlier this year could amount to threatening war crimes .

The conflict has also contributed to raising the price of goods, including gasoline and diesel. But President Trump has said he does not “think about” Americans’ financial hardships when determining the path forward with Iran, calling the rising gas prices a “ very inexpensive price to pay. “

Voters already concerned about the cost of living have a sour outlook on the president’s handling of the economy and his economic policies.

The Associated Press/NORC Research Center poll released Thursday found that 65 percent of Americans blame President Trump’s policies for high prices more than any other economic driver, including the war. Seventy-three percent disapprove of his handle on the economy, with 69 percent saying Trump’s economic agenda is “worse than expected.”

Decision Desk HQ, The Hill’s election forecasting partner, projects a 75 percent probability that Democrats will take control of the House and a 54 percent probability of claiming control in the Senate.