Trump's unprecedented midterm push: What it means for Iowa voters
WASHINGTON — As the Nov. 3 midterm election enters its final weeks, President Donald Trump is deploying the full power of the federal government in ways that election experts describe as unprecedented, from taxpayer-funded ads promoting himself to government checks hitting mailboxes and federal agents reviewing voter rolls. For Iowa voters, where Republicans are on defense in a state Trump carried by double digits, these moves could shape both the election's outcome and the national conversation about election integrity.
The president's actions include a rare mid-decade redistricting effort, executive orders on voting restrictions, and a directive for the Department of Homeland Security to search for noncitizens on voter rolls. Trump has also promised $5,000 to every U.S. adult if Republicans keep control of Congress, and his administration has begun sending $500 rebate checks to nearly one million Americans, along with plans to send nearly $100 checks to more than 20 million seniors.
Critics, including nonpartisan watchdog groups, argue these steps blur the line between governing and campaigning. Adav Noti with the Campaign Legal Center said,
“I think the president is trying to use all of the powers at his disposal to control the election results, and almost all of those efforts are illegal, but that has not deterred the administration.”
How Trump's election moves affect Iowa
Iowa is a key battleground in the fight for Senate control. Recent polls show Democrats ahead in nine key Senate battlegrounds, including races in deep red states like Iowa, Kansas, Texas, and Alaska. Forecasts suggest Democrats have a good chance of winning the House and possibly the Senate, which would leave Trump facing a hostile Congress during his final two years in office.
Trump acknowledged the challenging environment during a Sept. 30 White House event, saying,
“We have to turn this around. For some reason presidents, Democrat or Republican, they just don't win the midterms. I don't know why.”
The president's approval rating has hit record lows, and an unpopular war in Iran has spiked energy prices, contributing to inflation that voters cite as a top concern. These factors are threatening to drag down GOP candidates, including those in Iowa.
Trump's redistricting push and its potential impact
Trump launched an unusual mid-decade redistricting effort, pressuring Republican-controlled states to redraw House districts to favor the GOP. While redistricting typically occurs every 10 years after the Census, Trump turned to it early this cycle. Democrats responded with their own efforts, but Republicans were able to carve out more seats, which could blunt a potential blue wave.
For Iowa, this could mean changes to congressional district lines that affect how voters are represented. The state's four House seats are currently split between Republicans and Democrats, and any redrawing could shift the balance.
Government checks and ads: Bribery or policy?
Trump's promise of $5,000 to every adult American if Republicans maintain control of Congress has drawn accusations of bribery from Democrats and even some MAGA voices. The administration has also begun sending $500 Affordable Care Act rebate checks to nearly one million Americans across 30 states, including Iowa, as Election Day approaches.
Additionally, the government is airing taxpayer-funded pro-Trump ads using $20 million from the Department of Homeland Security. One ad, which aired during NFL games on Sept. 27, is narrated by Trump and identical to a campaign commercial from 2024. The ad warns of a “final battle” against “the deep state,” Marxists, and other “villains.”
Trump defended the ads, saying they are “for the country,” not for his own promotion. White House spokesman Davis Ingle said,
“President Trump is the unequivocal leader, best messenger, and unmatched motivator for the Republican Party, and he is committed to maintaining Republican majorities in Congress.”
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, called the administration “totally lawless,” adding,
“If he gets away with that, the idea that he will take that and say he is untouchable, nothing would be more ironic than if in our 250th year we had a totally corrupted election.”
Voter roll investigations and election security
The Trump administration has ramped up efforts to investigate noncitizens registered to vote, with 160 people arrested as of mid-September, according to Homeland Security Investigations official Matthew Millhollin. Voting advocates note these cases represent a small fraction of the population and accuse the administration of sowing doubt about the election.
Senate Democrats sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Sept. 25, stating,
“Your actions as Secretary are intentionally undermining Americans' trust in the 2026 midterm elections and appear to purposefully disenfranchise eligible voters. Taken together, these actions amount to an illegal attempt to federalize the administration of the upcoming midterm elections.”
Trump has regularly accused Democrats of cheating without presenting evidence, echoing his false claims about the 2020 election. He said during an Oct. 1 rally in Oklahoma,
“They're cheaters, they cheat like hell.”
What could come next? Experts weigh in
Some Trump supporters have floated extreme measures, including sending ICE agents to the polls or declaring a national emergency. Trump didn't rule out either scenario in a Sept. 28 interview with Time magazine, nor the possibility of invoking the Insurrection Act, which allows the president to deploy the military on U.S. soil to suppress civil disturbances.
Trump said,
“I don't rule anything out or in. We'll see,”adding that he's never invoked the Insurrection Act but
“I could use it. A lot of people think I should use it sometimes.”
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, in a Sept. 1 letter to Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Michigan, said the military has no plans to send troops to polling places, nor has he received such an order from Trump.
David Becker, who runs the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation & Research, said he doesn't worry about the election being disrupted, predicting any effort to interfere would fail legal scrutiny. But he added,
“I get why people are worried. We've never seen anything like this before.”
Sarah Matthews, who served as deputy press secretary during Trump's first administration, said,
“The last time he lost an election he incited an insurrection so I don't think that he deserves the benefit of the doubt on anything. I wouldn't put anything past him in terms of what he will do between now and Election Day to try to interfere, and what he will do in the aftermath.”
What Iowa voters should watch
As early voting begins this month, Iowa voters should pay attention to how these federal actions might affect their ballots. Courts have blocked key provisions of Trump's executive orders, including voter ID rules and mail ballot changes, so most voting procedures will remain unchanged. However, the broader implications for election integrity and public trust are significant.
Trump's efforts to change voting rules have largely failed in court. Becker called the administration's record in election cases a
“remarkable record of failure,”but stressed that
“this should not be normalized. We have never before had a federal government that went from being a partner to the states as they ran secure elections to being a potential adversary, and that's what we're seeing in 2026.”
For Iowans, the choice in November will determine not only who controls Congress but also how the nation navigates these unprecedented challenges to election norms.
Contributing: Josh Meyer of USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump takes extraordinary steps to target midterms, alarming critics