Trump blitzes midterms amid Russia backlash & Iran war cost

Speaking of the midterm elections, a blitz for campaigning that the president and vice president have on their agendas this week. So we expect that President Trump is kicking off a week-long campaign blitz today to help push Republican candidates in tight races over the finish line. We have about 15 days to go until the midterm elections. Absolutely crazy to think how soon we are going to be to that date in November. But we also expect to see Democratic stars on the campaign trail looking to keep up their party's momentum to take control of Congress. Early voting starts in at least six more states today, and time is running out for candidates in competitive races to convince voters to send them to Washington. President Trump is continuing the rally call as polls show some Republican candidates are locked in tight races, even in states he easily carried in the last election. One of those is Kansas, a state that President Trump won by 16 points in 2024. But the Democratic Senate nominee, Adam Hamilton, is leading GOP incumbent Roger Marshall in several polls. The president is heading there today, hoping to tip the scales. Historically, the president's party loses ground in midterm elections, and so far that trend is holding. Fox News is predicting Democrats will take the House, but control of the Senate will come down to turnout on election night. While the president mobilizes MAGA voters, Democratic stars Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Kamala Harris are campaigning in other key states this week. Michigan is one of the most contentious Senate races and likely key to which party will take control. Both Presidents Trump and Obama will campaign there this weekend, so we will keep you updated as that moves forward. In the meantime, a new report is out, and it is showing how much the Iran war is costing the average household. Analysts are giving a figure to the cost of the war so far, with concerns about what hasn't yet been seen in costs but could come later. Economists at Moody's Analytics estimated this week that the cost of the Iran war to the average American household is about $2,000 since the war started. The estimate breaks down some costs, with Americans so far paying about $1,100 in higher energy prices, $540 in higher interest rates, and $360 in military costs. Motorists and airline passengers are facing the highest consequences as a result of the war, disrupting Middle East oil shipments. The estimate also says the energy portion of the war's cost is growing by $50 a week at current fuel prices. Some companies have raised delivery charges on select products, but so far making and moving goods hasn't raised prices in stores. A September jump in wholesale prices does suggest, however, that prices could raise or could be raised if fuel prices stay as high as they are now. So it just gives you a good indication of where we might be headed. In the meantime, President Trump is facing pushback over waiving sanctions on Russia, especially from even members of his own party, not just Democrats. The president put new sanctions against Russia on hold, and critics are warning this decision could give Russian President Vladimir Putin the upper hand. The president, however, says he's making progress towards ending the war in Ukraine. But this latest move is raising questions about just how much pressure the president is willing to put on Russia. Russia struck 10 Ukrainian energy facilities overnight after President Trump defended his decision to ease pressure on Moscow over the weekend. The president has waived sweeping new sanctions against Russia just weeks after signing bipartisan legislation into law. The move has drawn criticism from Republicans and Democrats alike. Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, says he thinks it was a mistake. The sanctions were designed to pressure Russia to end its war in Ukraine, but the White House insists that easing restrictions could help bring Putin to the negotiating table. How they expect that to happen, they have not clarified. But in the meantime, tensions between Washington and Ukraine are escalating. Ukraine's president has warned the United States against siding with Moscow, saying that if the U.S. takes Russia's side, Ukraine will not prevail. President Trump has pushed back, saying that Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's president, has stood in the way of peace. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the administration wants 60 days to study the economic impact of the sanctions. Lawmakers are pushing for answers, but Congress is out of office until after Election Day. So any effort to reverse the president's decision could have to wait. We'll keep you updated on that.