71% Say Nation on Wrong Track as Trump Rallies in Kansas

Seventy-one percent of U.S. adults say the country is on the “wrong track,” the highest share yet in President Donald Trump’s second term, according to a new NBC News Decision Desk Poll powered by SurveyMonkey. The number came as Trump took the stage in Park City, Kansas, to campaign for Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, who’s in a tight race with Democrat Adam Hamilton.

For the first time in Trump’s second term, the share saying the country is on the “right track” has fallen into the 20s. The poll points to a grim national mood for Republicans heading into the midterms.

Who’s Feeling the Pinch

Respondents voiced deep unhappiness with economic conditions and widespread distrust of both major parties, with Trump and Republicans taking the brunt of it. A majority said they see the president’s administration as uniquely corrupt, though they also voiced skepticism about corruption in both parties. And a majority said Trump isn’t improving their material financial conditions.

That’s a hard number for a president to carry into a rally in a state he won by more than 16 points in 2024. Kansas isn’t supposed to be competitive. Yet the nonpartisan Cook Political Report shifted the Senate race toward the Democrat and called it a “toss-up.” NBC News described the race as competitive but leaning toward the GOP. Hamilton has won endorsements from several former Republican and Democratic governors. In the governor’s race, Republican Ty Masterson faces Democrat Cindy Holscher to replace Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who’s term-limited.

At the Rally

Trump faced interruptions at least twice within the first five minutes of his remarks. Officials removed some protesters, and Trump called them “paid protesters.” Marshall spoke about “radical Islam” and rioting in France, then said Hamilton and Democrats would open the border, weaken the military and raise taxes. Republicans, he said, would “give you secure borders, a strong military and lower taxes.” He didn’t say what he’d do for Kansas if re-elected.

Trump also defended Marshall after an article reported that the senator sued hundreds of patients over unpaid debts while practicing as a physician. Trump said the reporting made Marshall, who is not Jewish, out to be “some kind of a shylock-type guy,” a term widely recognized as offensive toward Jewish people. The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Trump used the same slur last year in a speech about exploitative bankers while promoting his domestic policy bill, and some Jewish groups denounced it.

Trump also spoke about Saturday’s crash at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, where a car drove through a youth soccer game and killed a 6-year-old boy and a 35-year-old man. “We grieve for the beautiful lives that were lost and pray for those who were tragically injured,” he said, adding that local law enforcement would get “whatever help they need.” Authorities took a 34-year-old Kansas woman into custody and later released her. She hasn’t been identified or charged. Police said she’s cooperating and had a child playing on a different field. Investigators are still determining the cause, with vehicle examinations and toxicology testing pending.

Vance in North Carolina

Vice President JD Vance traveled to North Carolina to support Republican Jennifer Balkcom in the 11th Congressional District against Democrat Jamie Ager, a race the live coverage called among the most competitive in the country. Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., ended his re-election campaign in the district after an accusation of sexual harassment, which he denied. The state also hosts a battleground Senate race between Democrat Roy Cooper and Republican Michael Whatley.

Ukraine Questions Mount

Officials from the United States and Ukraine are expected to meet in Norway this week for another round of negotiations, according to sources familiar with the matter. Reuters first reported the meeting. The talks come as recent actions by Trump in favor of Russia have prompted questions from Congress and U.S. allies about the administration’s mediation efforts.

Ukraine said Kyiv came under Russian ballistic missile attack the previous day and, for the third time in recent days, received no early warning from the United States and its partners. Kyiv also said it faces speed restrictions on Starlink and Starshield, the military version of SpaceX’s service, with no explanation from the Trump administration.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told a bipartisan House and Senate delegation in a virtual address: “All of this suggests that some political decision has been made to slow down support for us. This is in sharp contrast to what we are achieving on the battlefield.” He said Ukraine is in “constant contact” with Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff, and hopes to meet them “maybe in Norway in the coming days.” The Norwegian Embassy in Washington didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Why This Matters:

The poll shows voters feeling squeezed. A majority say the president isn’t improving their finances, and many see the administration as uniquely corrupt. A rally pitch built around border security, the military and taxes, with no word on what Marshall would do for Kansas, sits awkwardly against that. Trump’s slur, along with the lack of an immediate White House response, raises questions about accountability from the top. Abroad, allies and lawmakers are asking whether Washington remains an honest broker for Ukraine. Midterm results in Kansas and North Carolina will show whether voters want more oversight of an administration they distrust.