# Trump puts himself on the ballot

> With fewer than 50 days until midterms, Trump is hitting the campaign trail despite deep unpopularity with voters.
- Title: Trump puts himself on the ballot · Vox | Shortify
- Summary: With fewer than 50 days until midterms, Trump is hitting the campaign trail despite deep unpopularity with voters. Trump is spending heavily and campaigning…
- Keywords: donald trump, 2026 midterms, north carolina, michael whatley, roy cooper, maga inc, super pac, republican party, campaign spending, senate race, news, culture
- Source: Vox — https://vox.com/the-logoff-newsletter-trump/503239/trump-2026-midterms-north-carolina-super-pac-spending
- Author: Cameron Peters
- Published: 2026-09-17T22:10:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: donald trump, 2026 midterms, north carolina, michael whatley, roy cooper, maga inc, super pac, republican party, campaign spending, senate race, news, culture
## Trump rallies for midterms
Trump held his first major post-primary rally in North Carolina, urging voters to "pretend I'm on the ticket, because essentially I am."

> pretend I'm on the ticket, because essentially I am
## The unpopularity problem
Polls show Trump is deeply unpopular with voters right now. He's more likely to drag a ticket down than boost it.
## Massive super PAC spending
Trump's MAGA Inc. super PAC has booked $138 million in ads. The group has around $400 million in the bank total.
## Other ways to spend it
Trump has a long list of other things he could spend that money on instead, like legal fees, travel, or his eventual presidential library.
## The map looks dire
With little time left and mail-in ballots already going out, the map is looking fairly dire for Republican hopes.
## Trump's other problems
Fuel shortages from the Iran war are worsening, he's picked the wrong side on AI, and voters are still extremely mad about inflation.
## Key takeaway

Trump is spending heavily and campaigning for Republicans in the 2026 midterms, but his deep unpopularity may hurt rather than help the party's chances.