The national average for a gallon of gas is $4.48, while diesel is $6.47, and the Iran war is raging on. President Donald Trump, however, has been fixated on personal grievances, a media ban and renovations in Washington.

With five weeks remaining before the midterm elections, Republicans on Capitol Hill recognize that voters are focused on the economy. As the party tries to protect its majorities, its lawmakers are also acknowledging that Trump’s attention is somewhere else.

Sen. John Cornyn, who lost his reelection bid after Trump backed his primary challenger, suggested the president was not helping Republicans prepare for what could be a rough midterm. Asked by MS NOW last week whether Trump was focused on the right issues six weeks before Election Day, Cornyn answered, “No.”

“Right now,” Cornyn said, “we’re flying into some serious headwinds on the issues, because the president does not believe that we should address affordability issues, which are top of mind for most voters.”

Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska told MS NOW that she did not know “how many Alaskans are thinking about the Kennedy Center and whether it should be demolished.” Even Republicans who usually defend Trump acknowledged that he could do more to show voters he is concentrating on their concerns.

Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana said he wanted Trump to explain why the United States is in Iran, what the plan is to leave, why the country is experiencing inflation and how Republicans plan to reduce it. If Trump addressed those questions, Kennedy said, “it would go a long way to helping us in the midterms, because that’s what’s on people’s minds.”

Trump has instead spent considerable time discussing plans for a triumphal arch and fighting to put his name on the Kennedy Center, or demolish it if he cannot. He has also socialized with golfers Bryson DeChambeau and Gary Player and displayed a picture of an autopen to attack former President Joe Biden.

His public commentary has continued to feature personal feuds, cultural fights and vanity projects. Trump’s Truth Social feed offers a particularly revealing account of that divided attention.

An MS NOW analysis of his posts since Labor Day found that Trump had posted roughly 30 times about renovating Washington and the White House. He posted approximately 10 times about renaming Lake Ontario and New Mexico, and more than 20 times about press coverage, including attacks against MS NOW and CNN.

Trump also devoted attention to former baseball player Johnny Damon, Gracie Mansion, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his Greenland deal. He posted a series of polls asking whether artificial intelligence should instead be called “superior,” “supreme” or “super” intelligence.

Trump posted about the economy and fuel prices around 40 times in recent weeks, but those posts almost always involved boasting that he had outperformed the Biden administration. They did not explain how he would improve conditions for Americans confronting the economic squeeze.

His chief legislative accomplishment of the term, a sweeping package of tax cuts that Republicans hoped would anchor their reelection campaign, has received only occasional attention. Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana repeatedly declined to say whether Trump was focused on the right subjects, telling MS NOW, “The American people want affordability.”

Asked whether Trump had concentrated on affordability, Cassidy replied, “I’ve been focused on healthcare.” Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota said Republicans needed to discuss “how we brought taxes and regulations down in the One Big Beautiful Bill,” but he would not directly assess Trump’s focus.

“Well, I’m going to stay focused on them, and you know the president, he’s pretty good at getting elected,” Hoeven said. He predicted Trump would focus overall on pocketbook issues and work for Republican candidates.

Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri redirected questions about Trump toward Congress, arguing that lawmakers frequently advise the president without acting themselves. Pressed on whether Trump should spend less time on the arch and ballroom, Hawley said, “He’s not on the ballot.”

Some Republicans still defended Trump’s capacity to juggle numerous subjects. Sen. Jim Justice of West Virginia said, “You can’t fathom the bandwidth that President Trump has,” while Sen. Rick Scott of Florida called Trump “an Energizer Bunny” who remained focused on affordability.

Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina offered a blunter warning about Trump’s fixation on banning the press. “Focus on the economy,” Tillis told MS NOW, cautioning that continued voter dissatisfaction with the economy would bring “negative consequences for Republicans” on election night.

Democrats see Trump’s comments about the arch and East Wing ballroom as a gift, particularly as they make affordability central to their campaign. Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont said Trump was “doing everything he can to sabotage the electoral prospects of Senate Republicans” while dismissing affordability as a “hoax.”