The Trump Presidency and the 2026 Midterms

Description

This course is open to members of the Lewiston-Auburn Senior College and other Maine Senior Colleges. To become a member, click HERE.

INSTRUCTOR: Robert B. Arseneau
COST: $25
WHEN: 3-week course (Saturdays 1:30-3:00 PM starting on October 24, 2026)
WHERE: ZOOM
**This is a VIRTUAL class only

Dates the class will meet on Zoom
October 24
October 31
November 7

Registration for this course will end on October 23, 2026

COURSE DESCRIPTION: THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY AND THE 2026 CONGRESSIONAL MIDTERM ELECTIONS: WILL THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY TAKE CONTROL OF BOTH THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE? 

The President’s party tends to lose seats in congressional midterm elections. If history is any guide, Democrats will gain seats in this year’s elections. However, unpopular presidents tend to lose comparatively more seats, and voter approval of Trump’s performance in office is near the low point of his presidency, as of this writing. As a result, the Democrats are encouraged and claim they will win enough seats in November to take control of both the House and the Senate. Lecture 1 will explore how the Trump administration’s handling of key issues—including immigration, the economy, income inequality and “affordability”, and the wars in Ukraine and Iran— have affected voter approval of the President’s performance in office. Lecture 2 will cover additional likely determinants of this year’s congressional elections including reapportionment of house districts, voter turnout, and the role of money and media coverage. Special attention will be given to this year’s Maine Senate Contest between Susan Collins and Troy Jackson. Additional attention will be given to Maine second district house race between former governor Paul LePage and Matt Dunlap. Lecture 3 will include a post-election overview of the elections and discuss the implications of the outcome for the relationship between the Trump administration and Congress moving forward. 

INSTRUCTOR BIO: Robert Arseneau, PhD. in political science, UC Berkeley. He has taught courses in American Government at US Davis, UC Berkeley, and Dartmouth College.