Sixteen months into his second presidency, Donald Trump may be as unpopular as he's ever been among the American electorate – but his grip on his core base of MAGA voters remains unshaken.

That power was on full display over the last two weeks, as Trump ousted a string ‌of fellow Republicans he considered apostates for not showing him enough personal fealty. The president's revenge tour continued on Tuesday, when a hand-picked loyalist defeated U.S. Representative Thomas Massie, a frequent critic, in a Kentucky nominating contest.

But Trump's success in purging the party of dissenters could also hurt its chances of retaining control of Congress in November's midterm elections, some Republican strategists said.

Trump's actions appear aimed at mobilizing his most diehard supporters, rather ‌than reaching out to independent or moderate Republican voters who will likely play a determinative role in highly competitive races.

And the Republican candidates ⁠in those contests may feel pressure to tether themselves even more closely to Trump to avoid becoming the latest targets of his ire – ⁠even though it may cost them voters ⁠outside the Make America Great Again base.

"Anytime the party in power in the midterm elections faces headwinds, the president should be looking to grow his coalition," said Jeff Grappone, a former ‌adviser to several Republican senators.

With the Iran war driving energy costs higher, Trump's approval rating was at 35% in a Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Monday, reflecting growing concern about inflation ⁠and the cost of living.

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