President Joe Biden predicted on Friday that Democrats will prevail in the Nov. 8 midterm elections and could gain the Senate’s majority while keeping control of the House.
“I know you always ask me, ‘how are we doing?’ We’re going to win this time around, I think. I feel really good about our chances,” Biden told reporters in San Diego, California.
“I haven’t been in all the House races, but I think we are going to keep the Senate, pick up a seat,” he said. “I think we have a chance to win in the House. I don’t think—not win—keeping the House.”
The president made the prediction as he left California to attend a Chicago-area fundraiser on Friday evening for two Democratic Illinois House members, Rep. Lauren Underwood and Rep. Sean Casten.
Biden’s optimism is despite recent polls showing Republicans are on solid ground heading into Election Day as the GOP has continually gained momentum as Nov. 8 draws ever closer.
A forecast released on Thursday shows Republicans are poised to take control of the Senate and perhaps the U.S. House of Representatives as well, which would give them more power as they seek to block Democrats’ agenda and fix rising inflation that has put millions of American workers, families, and businesses under stress.
The model from RealClearPolitics shows that the GOP will control the Senate with 54 seats, as compared to Democrats’ 46 seats. It predicted that Republicans will now likely take seats in Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire.
Biden told donors at the event on Friday that he’s “not buying the notion that [Democrats] are in big trouble,” adding that he’s confident his party will keep the House and Senate. Historically, the party in the White House often loses congressional seats during the midterms.
Inflation Top Concern for Americans
With inflation eating into consumers’ wallets and purses, it’s no surprise that most American voters have cited inflation as the most important issue facing the country.
Recent polls have signaled that Americans are increasingly dissatisfied with the direction the United States is heading. One Gallup poll found that only 17 percent of respondents said they’re satisfied with where the country is going, which is the worst of any midterm since at least 1982, according to the pollster.
Biden admitted on Friday that high inflation under his leadership has caused suffering among Americans, noting that he’s taking the issue seriously while stressing that the U.S. economy is his top priority.
“Folks, our economy continues to grow and add jobs even as gasoline prices continue to come down,” the president said. “We also know folks are struggling from inflation.” Biden added that there are “bright spots” where the country is rebounding.
It isn’t the first time Biden has colored the U.S. economy in a rosy picture, saying it’s “on the right track” and much of what the Democrats have done will kick in with a lag.
“A lot of what we’ve done and we’ve passed has not kicked in yet. For example, we have all this money to rebuild the highways, bridges, Internet, etc., but it’s going to take time,” Biden said in late October. “It’s not all happening overnight.”
Republicans have targeted the Biden administration and the Democrats’ big spending packages as a primary cause for soaring inflation and troubling signs brewing in the U.S. economy.
The president’s flagging approval ratings are also not looking all too well as Biden’s rating has remained below 50 percent for more than a year, coming in at just 40 percent in a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll.
Jack Phillips and Reuters contributed to this report.