Democrats, bullish on midterms, worry they’ll trip over their own feet

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White House Headlines - July 31, 2026

White House Headlines - July 31, 2026

Democrats are feeling bullish about their chances of winning the House and Senate majorities as they head into August, despite conflicts within the party over its direction.

President Trump’s dismal poll numbers are feeding confidence that Democrats can win back the House and possibly the Senate, even as the party worries members could be making their political lives more difficult with primary wins by several far left candidates. 

The party finds itself in the middle of a civil war between establishment figures and democratic socialists, a battle that is playing out in the Michigan Senate race.

Progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who is not a democratic socialist, is competing with the more centrist Rep. Haley Stevens. Polls show El-Sayed with a lead, but they also suggest he could be an easier candidate for the GOP to defeat in the fall.

Still, in the bigger picture, Democrats are feeling good not only about the midterms, but about their chances of regaining the White House in 2028 given Trump’s numbers, which they believe have fallen in large part because of errors of the president’s making — most notably the launching of the Iran war and overall economic instability. 

“There’s optimism, but a little concern around making sure that Democrats have the right candidates and........

© The Hill