House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries embraces Donald Trump’s push to make the midterms all about himself: ‘Mr. President, you are actually on the ballot’
President Donald Trump is making great efforts to make the November midterms all about himself and his presidency, asking voters to picture him on the ballot when they vote, a push Democrats are leaning into, given Trump’s track record as president. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries embraced Trump’s effort to make the 2026 midterms a referendum on his presidency, arguing that voters will effectively be judging the president when they choose their congressional representatives. Appearing on ABC News’ This Week on Sunday, September 13, Jeffries said Democrats intend to tie Republican candidates to Trump’s record on the economy, inflation, Iran, healthcare and tariffs.
Hakeem Jeffries tells Donald Trump, ‘You are on the ballot’
During his speech at the Republican Party’s first-ever midterm convention in Dallas, Trump explicitly asked Republicans to treat the November election as another personal contest, saying, “Pretend that I’m on the ballot. I’m on the ballot, just one more time.”
Jeffries responded that voters do not need to “pretend” anything. “Mr. President, we don’t have to pretend,” Jeffries told host George Stephanopoulos. “You are actually on the ballot.”
“Donald Trump is absolutely on the ballot in November,” the House Democratic leader added.
Jeffries said Democrats will focus on what he described as Trump’s failures, telling voters, “Your failed economy is on the ballot. The cost of living crisis is on the ballot.” He also pointed to Iran, gas prices and healthcare. “The Trump tariffs, which have increased costs on everyday Americans by thousands of dollars per year, [are] on the ballot,” he said.
Donald Trump’s approval remains underwater
The Democratic strategy is supported by Trump’s consistently underwater approval ratings. CNN’s September 6 Poll of Polls, an aggregate of recent surveys, showed Trump with 35% approval and 63% disapproval. While other trackers were somewhat less negative, they all point in the same direction: Trump’s disapproval exceeds his approval. RealClearPolitics had Trump at roughly 39% approval and 57% disapproval on September 11, while different averages from The New York Times and Silver Bulletin also showed him underwater.
Donald Trump offers $5,000 election-year dividend checks
Trump has also given voters a direct financial reason to vote for Republicans in the midterms. At the Dallas convention on September 9, he promised a $5,000 “dividend” to every adult citizen if Republicans retain control of both chambers of Congress. “Because of our tremendous strength and success economically, I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000 — Vvery much like a successful company will do a cash distribution to its shareholders,” Trump said.
With roughly 270 million adult citizens in the U.S., the proposal could cost about $1.35 trillion, according to reports. No detailed funding or legislative framework accompanied the announcement.
Mike Johnson says Congress must work out the details
House Speaker Mike Johnson was asked about the proposal on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday. Asked whether Americans could count on receiving the money, Johnson said he would “commit that Congress will work through it and find consensus on that like they have to do everything else.” When further pressed on Trump’s promise, Johnson responded, “I’ll work with the president hand-in-hand as I do all the time. … And we’ll deliver for the American people. That’s the promise.”