By
Ed Kilgore,
political columnist for Intelligencer since 2015
The remains of the Shajarat al-Tayyiba Primary School in the city of Minab, Iran, on March 31, 2026.
The Trump administration finally has a tentative peace agreement with Iran. If it sticks, it could not possibly come at a more urgent time in terms of the Republican Party’s midterm-election needs. Donald Trump’s job-approval numbers have been especially poor ever since he started the war with Iran, in no small part because the highly unpopular conflict has exacerbated the living-cost concerns that were already depressing his popularity. For months, most Republicans have been desperate for Trump to put aside various distractions (including his no-win war) and pivot to a focus on affordability. Perhaps now the president can get onboard. But will he? And even if he does, is it too late to boost the GOP’s midterm prospects?
