Buoyed by the support he sees for his policies outside the Beltway and new polls showing a “rising tide” for Republicans, President Trump is growing more confident that his party will retain control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections.

“He’s pretty bullish,” said Wisconsin Rep. Sean Duffy, who traveled on Air Force One to Trump’s sold out rally in Duluth, Minn., Wednesday.

“Enthusiasm matters. And Democrats, because of the nature of this cycle, they’re enthused because he’s in the White House. But you can’t help but recognize the enthusiasm and excitement that Americans have for the president and the more he does that [host rallies], the more he’ll help turnout,” added the Republican and key Trump ally.

Once poised to deliver a knockout blow to the White House, Democrats have seen their advantage lessen in midterm election polls. The latest Suffolk University/USA Today survey found Trump’s approval ratings increasing and the gap between House Democrats and Republicans shrinking.



President Donald Trump, left, listens as Republican Pete Stauber addresses the crowd in his run for Minnesota's Eighth Congressional District during a Trump rally Wednesday, June 20, 2018, in Duluth, Minn. With him are Reps. Kevin McCarthy, left, and Sean Duffy, second from right. Jim Mone/AP



“A rising tide for Donald Trump could have an impact on the midterm elections,” said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center. “Our previous polling in states like Ohio had shown that many voters are making candidate choices based on their desire for better checks and balances on the president. But if approval of Trump continues to rise, voters may not care as much about electing a Congress that will stand up to the president,” he added.

In Duluth, Duffy said the turnout showed sustained support for the president.

“Duluth, Minnesota is not a hotbed for conservatism, it is kind of the toughest area that he has, I think, in the upper Midwest, the Iron Range, the old school Democrat, and it was impressive to see how many people came out from Duluth, the love he was receiving, from a group of people I don’t think are used to going Republican rallies. It just shows that when you fight for people’s jobs, you fight for their future, man they will be loyal to you,” said Duffy.

“When you campaign and you get that kind of response, and now you’ve been governing for 15 months and you get that kind of response,” he told Secrets, “that bodes well for us.”

What’s more, he added, raucous rallies fuel Trump.

“You could tell that he was feeding off the energy, and rightfully so, with the kind of response he got, it makes you feel good about what you’re doing. You hear people crap on you all the time, and complain about you, and you get reporters who don’t treat you with respect … it’s energetic for him to go out and see real people and their responses to his policies that have real impact on their lives and that’s what motivates him and energizes him. He thrives on that,” added the lawmaker.