President Donald Trump is confronting internal disputes, senior staff departures and weak public approval as Republicans head into the final stretch before the November 2026 midterm elections.
Press secretary Katie Zacharia resigned on Friday after only five days in the job, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Her exit came as questions about White House leadership and the administration's political standing threatened Republican efforts to keep control of Congress.
A Brief Tenure and a Chief of Staff Under Scrutiny
Trump picked Zacharia without consulting White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, the newspaper reported.
Her first press briefing on Tuesday drew criticism over her delivery and qualifications, including reports that she called herself a lawyer despite never passing the bar exam.
The Daily Beast reported that disagreements over the appointment added to friction between Trump and Wiles.
The publication also described concerns about Zacharia's performance and her failure to steer media attention toward the administration's political message before the elections.
Speaking with reporters on Friday before traveling to Georgia for a rally, Trump defended Wiles and said he had suggested Zacharia reconsider her position.
"I could not be more happy with Susie. She's done a great job from day one," Trump said, according to The Daily Beast.
The publication reported that Trump also cited Wiles' recent recovery from cancer while defending her.
A Politico report cited by both outlets said Trump had asked political allies and donors whom they might consider as a replacement for Wiles.
Zacharia was the second senior figure to leave the administration within three days.
The departure followed scrutiny of former U. S.
ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle over a reported request that a Trump donor cover a $100,000 credit card bill.
Polling Pressure and the Stakes for Congress
A Fox News poll released that week found concerns about government corruption under Trump had overtaken the economy as voters' leading concern, the Los Angeles Times reported.
An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll published Oct. 1 found that 71% of American adults disapproved of Trump's handling of the war against Iran.
The same poll found 65% believed his policies had contributed to high prices, according to an opinion article published by Yahoo News Canada.
The commentary cited polling averages from The New York Times showing fewer than 40% of voters approved of Trump's overall job performance.
It also noted that an Economist-YouGov poll in September found only 21% of Americans believed Trump would fulfill his promise to send every adult citizen $5,000 if Republicans retained control of both chambers.
Trump has disputed negative polling and defended his economic record.
"Everyone thinks the prices are high because of me, but they're not," Trump said on Oct. 1, according to the commentary.
The Los Angeles Times reported that more than two-thirds of Americans disapproved of Trump's foreign policy performance, amid criticism of his decision to reach an agreement with Moscow on diesel sales that could help finance Russia's war against Ukraine.
The newspaper also reported that Trump reversed a Pentagon plan on Thursday to livestream the execution by firing squad of a convicted mass shooter.
Republicans face the possibility of losing the House of Representatives, while Democrats could also gain control of the Senate.
Such a shift would expose the administration to extensive congressional investigations during the remaining two years of Trump's term, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The newspaper noted that the party holding the presidency typically loses congressional seats in midterm elections, citing 2006, when Democrats won both chambers under Republican President George W.
Bush.
Bush had a 37% approval rating during that election year, according to the newspaper.
Polls published by The Associated Press and Reuters in October 2026 placed Trump's approval below that level, raising questions about the potential scale of Republican losses.
