Topline
President Donald Trump shared a social media post that said “I don’t think the GOP fully grasp how badly they are f—ing up right now,” among dozens of Truth Social missives Wednesday afternoon, as he faces blowback over a series of controversial trade moves just months before the midterm election.
President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the Rose Garden of the White House on August 24, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
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Key Facts
Trump reposted a July tweet by right-wing commentator Matt Van Swol that said he is “very worried the GOP is sleepwalking toward a midterm reckoning they don’t see coming,” listing right-wing priorities Van Swol claimed the party has failed to accomplish, including passing the voter ID law Trump has pushed.
The post was part of a broader afternoon rant from the president that spanned several topics: Trump posted images of signage bearing the newly named “President Donald J. Trump International Airport,” construction of the White House ballroom, lists of his accomplishments, positive coverage of his administration, photos with his parents and several comparisons of himself and former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
He also slammed the National Baseball Hall of Fame committee for denying pitcher Roger Clemens’ entry, calling those who voted “a bunch of jealous people with far less Talent.”
In another post, he said Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C. who lost a GOP runoff election Tuesday to Trump-backed Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., “ruined his career when he endorsed Nikki Haley.”
Trump’s social media spree came as his renewed trade war with Canada and relaxed restrictions on some beef imports have rankled Republicans in border states and those with heavy agriculture constituencies.
Meanwhile, Trump’s consistently low approval rating—amid ongoing economic concerns that have been exacerbated by the Iran war—threaten to hurt Republicans’ chances in the upcoming midterm elections.
News Peg
Trump escalated the U.S. trade war with Canada over the weekend when he allowed a 50% tariff on about $20 billion in goods to take effect, prompting Canada to retaliate with tariffs mirroring the rate and scope of the new levies Trump imposed. The tariffs, coupled with an exemption on beef tariffs announced last week, angered some Republicans. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told reporters the subsidized beef was a “mistake,” while Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., wrote on X that “Americans want US beef on the table—not foreign imports.” The relaxed restrictions on some beef imports come as beef prices have surged in recent years amid a livestock shortage, reaching $6.89 per pound for ground beef in July, a 57% increase from 2021.
Key Background
Trump has a 38.2% approval rating in Nate Silver’s Silver Bulletin polling average as of Wednesday, near his second-term low of 38.1% reached earlier this month, a decline of about four points since the start of the year. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Monday found Trump’s approval rating stalled at a second-term low of 33%, the same as it was in the groups’ Aug. 17 poll, while support for U.S. military action in Iran was down three points, to 31%, and down six points from March. The Aug. 17 survey also found that for the first time in about a decade, more voters, 38%, prefer Democrats to handle the economy versus Republicans.
further reading
Trump Approval Stalls At Record Low In Latest Survey—As Support For Iran War Falls To 31% (Forbes)
Canada Imposes 50% Tariffs On Hundreds Of U.S. Products—Doubling Steel And Aluminum Tax (Forbes)
Trump Announces 90-Day Tariff Relief For Ground Beef Imports As Costs Soar (Forbes)