Republicans

A new NBC News poll shows President Donald Trump's approval rating falling to 41% among registered voters, a second-term low, with 55% disapproving. More voters are also criticizing his handling of the economy, a shift that matters as the closely watched midterm elections approach and both parties gauge voter sentiment heading into the campaign season.

This week in U.S. politics, President Trump is confronting growing defections from within his own Republican Party, while preparing for a summit with China. A separate feud with the press is also drawing attention. Analysts are watching whether intra-party dissent will weaken Trump's position heading into high-stakes diplomacy with Beijing.

Several Democratic candidates are making Christian faith a prominent part of their midterm campaign messaging, according to NPR. The party's politicians are leaning into religious language and values as they court voters, a notable shift in a political landscape where Republicans have often claimed the faith vote. The strategy is drawing attention to how Democrats approach religion ahead of the elections.

Republicans are publicly distancing themselves from Donald Trump as polling shows weakening support for the former president. Party figures are reportedly avoiding association with Trump in hopes of protecting their own electoral prospects, a sign of growing anxiety within the party about the political cost of his candidacy. The shift highlights tensions over Trump's continued dominance of the GOP heading into upcoming elections.

A group of Republicans has publicly called on President Trump to bring the conflict with Iran to an end, breaking with members of their party who back continued military action. The intervention highlights growing unease within the GOP over the war's costs and direction, and raises pressure on the White House to define an exit strategy.

The Trump administration is pursuing changes to US election rules that critics say are designed to benefit the Republican Party ahead of the midterm elections. Le Monde reports the effort as an attempt to reshape voting procedures and districting to the administration's advantage. The moves are drawing scrutiny over their implications for the fairness of the 2026 contests.

Republicans are reportedly pressuring Donald Trump to bring the US conflict with Iran to an end ahead of the November elections. According to Opera Mundi, members of the party want the war concluded before voters go to the polls, fearing a prolonged Middle East confrontation could hurt them electorally. The report comes amid the ongoing war involving the US, Israel and Iran.

Donald Trump is publicly boosting criticism of a Republican lawmaker who split with him on immigration, underlining his continued grip on the party and his willingness to punish dissent within its ranks. The move signals that immigration remains a defining loyalty test for Republicans heading into the next election cycle.

Republican Representative Turner said there are 'not a lot of options' for President Trump when it comes to Iran, a sober assessment of the US position amid escalating tensions. The remarks highlight concern within the president's own party about how to respond to Iran's nuclear programme and regional activity without triggering a wider conflict.

President Trump has rejected a proposed deal with Iran following a week of high-stakes meetings, setting the tone for Sunday's political talk shows. Meanwhile, Republicans are working to keep control of Congress, with the party's legislative prospects in focus. The dual storylines of foreign policy and midterm maneuvering are expected to dominate weekend political discussion.

Donald Trump has floated giving a $5,000 dividend payment tied to his Republican agenda, according to the headline claim. The idea recalls past proposals like DOGE stimulus checks and is drawing debate over cost, legality, and whether such a payment could realistically be delivered.

A Republican congressman says he believes Iran was involved in a terrorist plan targeting a US air base in the United Kingdom that was thwarted. The claim was reported by The Hill. Details about the plot, the lawmaker's evidence, and any official response from US, UK, or Iranian authorities have not been provided, and it is not clear whether intelligence agencies support the assertion.

The US Supreme Court has ruled in favor of Missouri's 2022 congressional redistricting map for the third time, rejecting another challenge to the state's district boundaries. The decision closes off the latest legal attempt to overturn the map, which was drawn by Missouri Republicans following the 2020 census and has repeatedly survived court challenges.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing pointed criticism from Democrats and resistance from some Republicans over the US conflict with Iran and his dismissals of senior Pentagon officials. The disputes center on the administration's Iran strategy and concerns about the removals of top defense leadership, making the Pentagon chief a focal point of congressional tension.

Polling in the Texas Senate race is drawing attention as observers weigh the state's competitiveness. Commenters are sharing and debating the latest survey numbers, speculating about what they mean for the parties' chances in the contest. The discussion reflects ongoing interest in whether Texas remains a reliably Republican Senate seat or could shift.

Several Democratic congressional candidates are openly campaigning on their Christian faith, arguing it can connect with religious voters who have leaned Republican in recent elections. The approach tests whether Democrats can narrow the GOP's advantage among churchgoing Americans in upcoming races, and observers are watching closely to see whether faith-forward messaging translates into electoral gains.

A large-scale ICE enforcement operation has energised Republican efforts to permanently enshrine the Trump administration's immigration crackdown into federal law. GOP lawmakers are seeking to convert current enforcement policies into legislation so they survive beyond the present administration. The sweep has intensified the broader political debate over immigration enforcement in the United States.

Donald Trump has published a series of attacks on a Republican congresswoman after she criticized his handling of immigration, CNN reports. The clash highlights ongoing divisions within the GOP over immigration policy, with Trump publicly targeting a member of his own party rather than a political opponent.

A House Democrat has introduced 26 articles of impeachment against Donald Trump, alleging sweeping abuses of power during his second presidency. The move puts impeachment back on the political agenda even though the Republican-controlled Congress is unlikely to act on it. Supporters are hailing the effort as overdue accountability, while critics call it a symbolic gesture ahead of upcoming battles over the administration's policies.

The Supreme Court has rejected a Republican-drawn congressional map in Missouri, handing Democrats a win in the ongoing battle over redistricting. The ruling could force new district lines ahead of upcoming elections and affects the balance of a state where Republicans currently dominate the congressional delegation. Observers are weighing what the decision means for Democratic prospects in Missouri and for the broader national fight over gerrymandering.

The US Supreme Court has for the third time declined to let Missouri put in place a new congressional map expected to help Republicans win more House seats. The order leaves the map on hold while litigation continues, and it marks repeated refusals by the justices to intervene on the state's behalf, keeping the redrawn districts out of use for now.

The Supreme Court has refused for a third time to approve a Missouri congressional map backed by President Trump, leaving the state's district boundaries unchanged. The repeated rejections put the map's Republican sponsors back at square one and add a new chapter to the fight over redrawing congressional districts for partisan advantage ahead of future elections.

Donald Trump has criticised the US Supreme Court after it rejected a challenge related to Missouri's congressional map, which supporters had pushed as part of a broader effort to redraw district lines in Republicans' favour. The rebuke highlights growing tension between Trump and the Court over redistricting fights ahead of the midterms, with advocates urging justices to back partisan map redraws in Republican-led states.

A US Senate committee has voted to hold Anthony Fauci, the former top US infectious disease official, in contempt of Congress. The vote escalates a long-running standoff between Republican lawmakers and Fauci over documents and testimony connected to the federal response to Covid-19 and the origins of the pandemic. Fauci, who led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for decades before retiring in 2022, remains a frequent target of congressional scrutiny, and the move is likely to deepen partisan fights over pandemic-era decisions.

Mitch McConnell's health is back in the spotlight, with reports of a serious medical diagnosis prompting widespread reaction. Commentators are discussing what the news means for the Kentucky senator's future in the Senate and for Republican leadership, given his long tenure as the party's floor leader and his history of health episodes in public.

Several Republican senators facing competitive re-election contests are publicly breaking with former President Donald Trump on immigration enforcement, calling on ICE to coordinate more closely with local police departments. The comments mark a notable shift as vulnerable GOP incumbents seek to distance themselves from hardline positions, prompting debate within the party over immigration strategy ahead of the elections.

Donald Trump publicly criticized the US Supreme Court after it rejected, for the third time, a Republican-drawn congressional map in Missouri. The rebuke highlights growing tension between Trump and a court shaped by his own appointees, with the dispute centering on gerrymandering claims and how far state legislatures can go in redrawing districts for partisan advantage ahead of upcoming elections.

CNN reports on the House and Senate districts where Republicans are going on the attack ahead of the US midterm elections, rather than simply defending their current seats. The piece highlights the districts and states the party considers winnable, part of a broader campaign push as both parties compete for control of Congress and voters weigh the economy and other key issues.

Donald Trump is publicly promoting criticism of a fellow Republican who broke with the party line on immigration, the New York Times reports. The clash underscores ongoing tension within the Republican Party over immigration policy heading into the 2026 midterm season, with Trump continuing to pressure lawmakers who dissent from his hardline stance.