Trump Deals Himself a Devastating Blow Ahead of the Midterms

August 26, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Donald Trump is planning to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in midterm campaign funds on ads that tout his own performance, not on helping Republican candidates win elections. The MeidasTouch Podcast argues this self-aggrandizing strategy amounts to a self-inflicted catastrophe for the former president, as polls show his approval rating cratering even among his own voters.

The Self-Funding Strategy That Alienates Allies

Trump raised roughly $400 million through his "MAGA Inc." PAC, primarily via aggressive fundraising emails that plead for money from his base. Rather than deploying that cash to support Republican congressional candidates in competitive races, Trump intends to buy television ads featuring himself, claiming Americans are living in a "golden age" with low gas prices and happy farmers—claims the podcast notes are the opposite of reality. Many MAGA-aligned Republican members of Congress are now publicly distancing themselves from Trump, refusing to attend his planned September 9-10 "midterm convention" in Dallas, Texas, which the host describes as a "self-immolation exercise."

Evidence of Collapsing Support

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What you'll learn

1 (00:00) **Trump's Self-Destructive Midterm Strategy** - The host argues Donald Trump is sabotaging Republican midterm chances by spending his PAC money on self-promotional ads rather than supporting other candidates.
2 (02:04) **MAGA Fundraising Desperation** - A new RNC fundraising text from JD Vance reveals the party's awareness of economic pain caused by their own policies.
3 (03:05) **Iowa Voters Abandon Trump** - Clips from the Iowa State Fair show former loyalists expressing deep disappointment and telling Trump to "stop the bullshit."
4 (04:14) **Measles Crisis and RFK Jr.'s Role** - The U.S. has hit a 35-year high in measles cases, with two deaths in Pennsylvania, directly linked to the administration's anti-vaccine rhetoric.
5 (06:59) **RFK Jr.'s "Chicken Soup" Cure** - The health secretary's absurd claim that he cured his own measles with chicken soup and vitamin A is played and mocked.
6 (08:08) **Historic Low Approval for Trump** - A new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows only 13% of Americans strongly approve of Trump, the lowest ever recorded, with just 35% of Republicans approving.
7 (08:42) **Sean Duffy's "Reality Show" Waste** - Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy released a YouTube reality show featuring product placement for credit card companies, ignoring economic suffering.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on Donald Trump delivering the death blow to himself for the midterm as he makes things even worse with each passing day at the GOP is absolutely horrified.

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