The 2026 midterm elections are creeping up.

The terrain on which both parties will contest the election is taking shape.

And Fox News’s shocking new polls forced Trump supporters to buckle up.

Democrats need to win four Senate seats to seize the majority and install Chuck Schumer as majority leader, developments that would spell the end of Donald Trump’s Presidency.

At the start of 2026, this was considered an unthinkable scenario as Democrats needed to win at least two races in states that Trump won by double digits in 2024, like Florida, Ohio, Iowa, Alaska and Texas.

But rising gas prices due to the war in Iran took a toll on Trump and the GOP’s poll numbers.

Fox News released a poll out of North Carolina showing Democrat Roy Cooper leading Republican Michael Whatley by a whopping nine points.

That meant the polls Fox took of Senate races showed Democrats leading in three Republican-held seats of Iowa, Ohio and North Carolina.

The Fox News poll of North Carolina showed voters listing inflation as their number one issue.

Fox’s poll also found Cooper built his lead over Whatley on the strength of his supporters being more enthusiastic to turn out than Whatley’s.

“Cooper’s gap widens to 15 points among those saying they’re extremely interested in the election (57% vs. 42%) and 13 points among those extremely motivated to vote (55% vs. 42%). The race is unchanged among those saying they’re “certain” to vote (53% to 44%),” Fox News reported about the poll.

“There’s also an enthusiasm gap when voters are asked why they back their candidate. Some 52% of Whatley’s supporters say they’re voting for him, while 46% say it’s mainly against Cooper. By contrast, 84% of Cooper supporters say they’re voting for him rather than against Whatley (13%),” Fox News also wrote of the poll.

Republicans have always struggled to win elections when Trump isn’t on the ballot since Trump has broad appeal to voters beyond the GOP base that establishment Republicans lack.

“Recent data put the average Republican advantage in North Carolina statewide races at about 3 points,” Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who polls for Fox with Democrat Chris Anderson, explained. “Cooper’s edge rests on almost unanimous Democratic support and commanding numbers among independents. To win, Whatley must stop the bleeding with non-MAGA Republicans and improve his standing with disaffected, less partisan Carolinians.” 

If the Fox polls weren’t bad enough, a new Texas Public Opinion Research survey found Democrat James Talarico leading Republican Ken Paxton 45-40 percent, which would be the fourth seat Democrats need to win to claim a Senate majority.

There is still time for Republicans to turn the ship around.

The GOP holds a massive cash edge, and Democrats nominating radical socialists will alienate swing voters.

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