'We're going to try and change that': Trump targets a midterm pattern

DURANT, OKLAHOMA: President Donald Trump is openly taking on the historical pattern of midterm losses for the president's party, saying he wants to “change that around” in the 2026 elections.

The president’s party has lost House ground in 20 of the past 22 midterm elections since 1938, according to a Brookings Institution analysis.

Trump made the remarks in a News 9 interview that aired on Friday, October 2, with reporter Haley Hetrick before his Durant event.

Trump directly challenges the midterm pattern

Trump acknowledged the historical pattern himself, saying, “Typically, a president, Republican or Democrat, doesn’t win the midterms. We’re going to try and change that around.”

He tied the effort to his legislative agenda, saying Republicans had delivered “the largest tax cuts in history” and accusing Democrats of seeking “the biggest increase in taxes in the history of our country.”

The Brookings report said the president’s party almost always loses House seats in midterms.

It cited two exceptions since 1938. These were 1998 and 2002 and the organization linked them to unusual circumstances surrounding President Bill Clinton’s impeachment fight and the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks under President George W Bush.

The report said the president’s job approval has a strong impact on midterm House results and that higher approval generally corresponds with smaller losses for the president’s party.

Trump asks voters to 'pretend I'm on the ticket'

Trump made the midterm contest personal during the interview, urging Oklahoma voters to act as though he would appear on the ballot.

“What I’m asking people to do is get out and vote, pretend I’m on the ticket,” Trump said.

“When I’m on the ticket, everybody votes. We do great,” he added.

He said Oklahoma could see high turnout despite lower participation in some elections and pointed to the crowd outside his Durant event.

“I looked outside. There are tens of thousands of people outside that can’t get in tonight,” he said.

Trump also said he had made a special effort to reach Oklahoma after the weather prevented his planned flight.

He highlighted his support in the state and said his policies had helped its oil and nuclear energy sectors.

Report points to Trump's 2018 midterm test

Brookings used the 2018 midterms as a recent example of the challenge Trump now seeks to overcome.

The report said total support for House Republican candidates fell by more than 11.9 million votes from 2016, while Democratic House candidates lost less than 2% of their 2016 vote total.

The result was a 41-seat Democratic gain, allowing Democrats to regain control of the House, according to the report.

It said many Trump supporters did not turn out when his name was absent from the ballot.

Trump also framed the 2026 election as a choice over his broader agenda.

Asked about his legislative priorities, he said, “It’s all about jobs. It’s all about the success of our country.”

He added that Republicans have “a lot of good candidates” and said, “We just hope we can win the midterms.”

When asked by a reporter what does he have to say to those who are struggling to pay for gas, groceries and diesel, Trump said, "We have the greatest economy in the history of our country. We inherited tremendous inflation from Biden administration. We brought the prices way down, less than Biden administration."

He added: "But oil prices are going to be tumbling down, going to be lower than they were even before the Iran war started."