Trump Leverages Grievance Politics and Fear Tactics in Final Midterm Push

As the midterm elections approach, President Donald Trump is employing a strategy centered on the fear of American civilizational collapse. According to the president, the most pressing threats facing Americans are not the rising costs of essential goods like groceries, gasoline, diesel, and housing, nor the complexities of the Iran war, or even the potential job displacement and existential risks posed by AI. Instead, Trump asserts that White, Christian culture is at risk of destruction unless the Republican Party maintains its monopoly on power in Washington through the midterm elections.

In what is being described as one of the most ominous closing arguments of his political career, Trump is utilizing racially charged rhetoric, stoking Islamophobic fears, and promoting false narratives about transgender surgeries on children without parental consent. He has also positioned himself as an authority on religious and American identity. At a rally in Kansas, Trump declared, “Americans are going to stand up and declare that we will protect our civilization, we will preserve our religion, our values and our heritage, and we will never let our nation be conquered or destroyed by people that hate us,” a statement that also included an antisemitic slur.

Facing one of his most politically vulnerable moments in nearly six years, Trump is not offering innovative defenses of his record on economic or foreign policy. Instead, he is intensifying the divisive, scorched-earth rhetoric that defined his rise to power, seeking to consolidate his influence by exploiting national divisions. In a notable instance of engaging with sensitive cultural issues, Trump claimed at his Kansas event that Democratic Senate nominee Adam Hamilton had urged people to “repent because you were born White.” This statement was a distortion of Hamilton's more nuanced remarks on race, self-reflection, and personal faith, highlighting that factual accuracy is secondary to the political message.

Trump has also employed anti-Muslim imagery, repeatedly labeling US-born Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed as a “jihadist” and referring to him as “Mohammed.” This stereotyping extends beyond disqualifying a political opponent, implying that individuals sharing El-Sayed's faith or ethnic background lack authentic American identity and humanity.

Further illustrating his mindset, Trump used the antisemitic slur “Shylock” in Kansas to defend GOP Sen. Roger Marshall against criticism regarding medical billing practices, a term he previously used in 2025, causing controversy.

The president's rhetoric has also targeted gender identity, warning in Arizona that a Democratic Congress would lead to the widespread gender transition of children in schools, fabricating scenarios of children undergoing irreversible changes without parental knowledge. Similar unsubstantiated claims were made in Georgia and North Carolina.

Trump has also stoked fears of unrest, suggesting that the riots in France could spread to the US if Democrats win, and has continued to demonize Somali-born Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, questioning her right to constitutional protections due to her country of origin.

He has also fostered religious intolerance by suggesting that individuals who do not adhere to his political ideology pose a national threat. Trump mocked Hamilton's religious credentials, questioning his suitability as a pastor based on his political views. Despite admitting limited familiarity with the Bible, Trump presented himself as a prophetic figure, citing an unnamed Texas religious leader who allegedly predicted Trump would lead Christianity into a new era.

Trump has a history of identifying enemies to define himself, finding political effectiveness in opposition. While many politicians employ exaggeration, Trump's use of vindictive comments framed as jokes provides a layer of plausible deniability. Vice President JD Vance also tapped into the theme of