Trump escalates antics as midterms loom

As the midterm elections approach, Donald Trump has stepped up provocative stunts and rhetoric—from proposing a $5,000 payout to adults if Republicans hold Congress, to jokingly threatening to withhold disaster aid from North Carolina, to ban CNN and other outlets from White House access. He has also revived unverified Ground Zero anecdotes, floated conspiratorial claims about Democrats, and pressed to place his name on the Kennedy Center. Polls cited in the piece show waning public confidence in his leadership and questions about his Iran policy, suggesting these moves aim to energize his base rather than signal steadiness ahead of a closely watched vote.