In a conversation on board Air Force One, bound for Sioux City, Iowa, and another midterm rally for Republican candidates, I asked President Donald Trump whether, despite the excitement he sees at his rallies, he thinks the GOP is going to lose the House.
asserted
GOP → bind → House
Instead of answering immediately, he asked what I thought.
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I → answer → what
I said yes, I think the GOP is going to lose.
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GOP → say → ?
But I hoped to hear his view on the widespread belief that House Republicans are headed for defeat.
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Republicans → hop → defeat
“People say that,” Trump said.
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Trump → say → that
“I just don’t see it.
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I → see → it
You’ll see, you’ll go there today.”
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you → see → ?
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Indeed, the Sioux City rally, held at the airport, was raucous; the crowd was clearly stoked.
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crowd → hold → airport
Then the president pointed to several of his other rallies.
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president → point → rallies
“You saw last night?” he said, referring to a wildly enthusiastic rally in South Carolina.
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he → see → Carolina
And then he mentioned his much-talked-about Oct. 13 trip to Alaska.
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he → mention → Alaska
“I took him from losing to being ahead,” Trump said of Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, who is fighting for reelection not only against a strong bid from former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola but also against what is essentially a Democratic dirty trick by a man named “Dan Sullivan” who registered as a Republican to run in hopes of pulling votes away from the real Sen. Sullivan.
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who → take → Sullivan
Trump couldn’t believe that on the Alaska ballot the real and the fake Dan Sullivan appeared indistinguishable.
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real → believe → ballot
As we discussed how Republicans can win, Trump pointed to GOP redistricting efforts to flip some Democratic seats.
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Trump → discuss → seats
“We have the advantage of picking up some seats, right?” he said.
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he → have → seats
He then asked “How many?”
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He → ask → ?
I said five, or maybe 10.
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I → say → five
Trump responded with “Eight?
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Trump → respond → Eight
All those numbers, including mine, were a little higher than some recent predictions that the GOP redistricting work will backfire, and Republicans will pick up seats in the low single digits.
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Republicans → include → digits
But who knows?
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who → know → ?
“I might be wrong,” Trump told me.
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Trump → tell → me
“The country’s never done better.
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country → do → ?
People feel good.
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People → feel → ?
The gasoline’s a little high, but it’s coming down.
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it → ’ → ?
You know, gasoline is lower than it was with Biden and Obama, and I got rid of the nuclear threat.”
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I → know → threat
Trump’s critics will scoff at his “never done better” claim, and at least some of his supporters might wince.
uncertain
some → scoff → supporters
Indeed, one could make the alternative argument that Trump was elected to do one big thing — bring down inflation — and inflation on a yearly basis was 3% when Trump took office in January 2025, and it is 3.7% today.
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it → make → January
That’s nowhere near where it was — 9.1% — in the worst of the Joe Biden years, but Trump promised it would go down, and it hasn’t.
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it → ’ → years
On the other hand, there is the bill of particulars Trump offered voters in Sioux City and every other place he has held rallies.
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he → be → rallies
Look at the stock market, he told the crowd in Iowa, and look at your 401(k).
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he → look → 401(k
They’re both up.
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They → ’re → ?
Then: “Income for hardworking Americans has soared to the highest level ever recorded.”
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Income → soar → level
That’s true.
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That → ’ → ?
And then: “The poverty rate has just reached its best level in American history.”
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rate → reach → history
That’s true, too, referring to the period in which the rate has been recorded.
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rate → ’ → which
Then Trump cited other improvements, in manufacturing and exports, some of which were overstated but did indeed reflect progress under Trump.
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some → cite → Trump
In addition, for Iowa specifically, on Sept. 30 Trump announced the planned construction of a huge new steel plant in the state, which outgoing Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds called “transformational.”
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Reynolds → announce → which
“You just heard six statistics,” Trump told the crowd, resting his case.
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Trump → hear → case
I love Iowa very much.
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I → love → Iowa
I’m leaving.
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I → leave → ?
…and 55 more, not listed.
The Aporia
