“In the old days that if you got the support of a president ... it would be nice to have, but it meant nothing, zero. Like literally zero,” President Donald Trump said. “Some of the people I’ve endorsed have gone up 40 and 50 points." | Evan Vucci/AP photo white house Trump won't take blame if GOP struggles in midterms

President Donald Trump will not take the blame if Republicans perform poorly in next month's midterm elections, allowing Democrats to seize control of one or both houses of Congress.

In an interview just three weeks before the general election, Trump told the Associated Press that midterms are "very tough for anybody the opposite of president," but insisted that his endorsements and vigorous campaigning are helping GOP candidates. Asked if he would bear some responsibility for Democratic takeover of the House of Representatives after the midterm elections, Trump said "no."


"I think I’m helping people," the president said. "They would say that in the old days that if you got the support of a president or if you’ve got the support of somebody it would be nice to have, but it meant nothing, zero. Like literally zero. Some of the people I’ve endorsed have gone up 40 and 50 points just on the endorsement."

A wide array of political forecasters have predicted Democrats will perform well in November's midterm elections, buoyed by frustration with the Trump administration that has spiked both voter enthusiasm and political fundraising. POLITICO's most recent race ratings, released earlier this month, put 209 seats either firmly or leaning Democratic, with 26 races listed as toss-ups. Democrats would need to win 218 House seats in order to claim the chamber's majority.

Trump in recent weeks has ramped up endorsements and hosted events for Republicans running this election cycle, crisscrossing the country to attend as many as three or four rallies per week.

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The president compared the 2018 midterm election cycle to 2016, when he was "going out and making speeches and I was getting tens of thousands of people." On the campaign trail, Trump has often asked his supporters to think of it as if he is on the ballot, suggesting that a vote for Republicans is actually a vote for him.

Despite that message, some supporters are still hesitant to vote in the midterms, the president said.

"I’m not running," he said. "There are many people that have said to me... ‘I will never ever go and vote in the midterms because you’re not running and I don’t think you like Congress.’

"Well, I do like Congress... and when I say Congress I like the Republicans that support me in Congress," he continued.