Trump turns to midterms, affordability after China as Iran continues

Although the aftermath of the Iran war and his trip to China remain at the forefront, President Donald Trump has returned to the United States and so does the focus of his administration.

Trump and his top officials have been holding events across the United States this week aimed at touting their domestic successes; This is a notable milestone after major foreign policy issues in Iran, China, Cuba, Venezuela and elsewhere have dominated headlines for months.

On Monday afternoon, as Trump prepares to unveil his latest effort to lower health care costs, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is traveling to a campaign event in Kentucky and Vice President J.D. Vance is attending a manufacturing-focused event in Missouri.

The apparent shift, seen days after Trump’s return from Beijing, comes ahead of the fast-approaching 2026 midterm elections, in which Democrats hope to regain at least one chamber of Congress and fiercely oppose the president’s policy agenda.

They aim to capitalize on Trump’s declining approval ratings, which have hit new lows multiple times latest polls Most Americans express negative views about the Iran war and the state of the economy.

These pressures helped make affordability a central theme of the midterms. Trump’s announcement at the White House was billed as a “Health Care Affordability Event.”

The motivating factor is that “American voters are angry about the economy,” said Mike Nellis, a Democratic strategist and host of the Substack show “Infinite Urgency.”

Trump was elected on promises to fight Biden-era inflation and reduce high prices, and “that hasn’t happened,” Nellis told CNBC. “So the American people are pretty angry.”

“The economy is a key campaign issue,” and Trump “has recently had the lowest numbers on the economy in both terms,” Tim Malloy, a poll analyst at Quinnipiac University, said in a phone interview.

“If you put that on top of gas prices, you’re looking at major red flags,” he said.

A New York Times/Siena College poll released Monday found Trump’s overall support at 37%, the lowest of his second term; Nearly two-thirds of voters said they disapproved of Trump’s handling of the economy.

The president is expected to announce an increase in the number of discounted prescription drugs offered through the administration’s TrumpRX website, a White House official told CNBC ahead of the 4:30 PM ET event.

On Wednesday, Trump will travel to Connecticut to give the commencement speech at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

Meanwhile, Hegseth, who is leading ongoing military operations in Iran, is preparing to travel to Hebron, Ky., to speak at an event with Ed Gallrein, the Trump-backed U.S. House candidate challenging incumbent GOP Rep. Thomas Massie.

The unusual spectacle of a sitting defense minister attending an openly political event, and doing so while waging an active war, raised eyebrows.

Hegseth will attend the event in his “personal capacity,” the Pentagon said in a statement to CNBC.

according to Pentagon’s code of ethicsCivilian officials appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate are restricted from engaging in certain partisan political activities under the Hatch Act and department policy.

“No taxpayer dollars will be used to facilitate his visit. His participation has been thoroughly reviewed and approved by attorneys, including the War Department’s Office of General Counsel, and does not violate the Hatch Act or any applicable federal law,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement. he said.

The campaign event, organized by the MAGA-affiliated America First Works on the eve of the state primary, came as Trump continued to insult Massie, whose clashes with GOP leadership have made him the president’s nemesis.

Trump continued his effort to oust Massie on Monday morning, calling him “the worst Congressman in the long and storied history of the Republican Party” in a post on Truth Social.

“He is an obstructionist and an idiot. Vote to impeach him tomorrow, Tuesday. It will be a great day for America!” Trump wrote.

Vance, who has been involved in deep diplomatic efforts with his Iranian counterparts, is also scheduled to speak at a manufacturing-focused event at a facility in Kansas City, Mo.

The domestic focus follows Trump’s return from a highly anticipated two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. The meetings were filled with demonstrations and carried great risks, but ended with little concrete agreement or other tangible results.

—Megan Cassella contributed to this report.