U.S. President Donald Trump, whose approval rating is wobbling as the Iran war drags on, decided to fund political activities ahead of the midterms.
CNN reported on the 15th (local time) that President Trump gave final approval to use funds from his personal political action committee (PAC) to support vulnerable Republican candidates.
Citing two sources, CNN said the funding is expected within weeks. The sources described the funding as the "first salvo" ahead of the election. The total size is undecided, but $30 million (about 42.6 billion won) is being discussed for the first tranche.
It is already known that President Trump has amassed an unusual haul in his second term. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 16th of last month that donations and contributions flowing to Trump-affiliated groups since the 2024 presidential election total at least $781.95 million (about 1.11 trillion won).
The largest among them is the super PAC "MAGA Inc.," created to support MAGA-aligned candidates, which held $382 million as of late May.
Along with the funding, a campaign schedule is being prepared for President Trump to visit swing states in person. An adviser to Trump said the president is preparing to expand his campaign schedule, albeit late, and plans to visit battlegrounds at least once a week.
CNN reported, "Trump's team has been promising such plans for months, and Republicans have long argued this is a key step to mobilize the highly important MAGA voters for a midterm victory."
However, the Republican election outlook is not entirely bright. The Iran war has entered its sixth month, gasoline prices in the United States have surged, and President Trump's approval rating has fallen sharply.
An adviser close to President Trump acknowledged to CNN that it will be difficult to again secure in large numbers the votes of independents and swing voters who delivered key swing-state victories in the 2024 presidential election.
Republicans believe the election outcome ultimately hinges on turnout among the fervent MAGA base. In midterms, which typically have lower participation, driving these millions to the polls is seen as the most important strategy.
President Trump has downplayed the issue of rising oil prices, but the White House recently has stressed that, along with "blocking Iran's nuclear weapons," lowering oil prices is also the president's top priority. White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told reporters the previous day, "Both goals are equally important to the president."
This is effectively interpreted as acknowledging that inflation is the key reason for the slide in approval ratings. An adviser to Trump told CNN, "High prices, that's why people are mad."