The midterm elections have traditionally been a bloodbath for the party in power. Post-Tea Party, however, this has not necessarily been the case. In 2018, Democrats rode a “blue wave” in the House elections, flipping 40 seats and taking control of the lower chamber, while Republicans managed to net two Senate seats. In 2022, Democrats lost the House, albeit narrowly, losing only nine seats, but picked up a Senate seat to expand their majority. This time around, President Donald Trump’s approval rating is low enough to put the fear of the Lord into even the most optimistic of Republican consultants. The RealClearPolitics polling average has the president around 41% approval and -14.5% overall. Recent polls from the Washington Post and CNBC have Trump at -24 and -19, respectively. Interestingly, Democrats are only ahead by around 4 points in a generic congressional vote. CNN’s Harry Enten pointed out that while Democrats still hold a slight advantage, their current lead pales in comparison to the 10-point advantage the party had heading into the 2018 midterm elections. Democrats had a 12-point lead going into the 2006 blue-wave election. “You are right on the edge with this four-point lead … right on the edge of even getting that majority,” Enten said.