Trump, Vance Hit Trail as 71% Say Nation Off Track

Seventy-one percent of American adults now 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 figure came as Trump and Vice President JD Vance traveled to Kansas and North Carolina on Tuesday to defend Republican seats during the midterm stretch.

For the first time this term, the share who say the country is on the “right track” has fallen into the 20s. Respondents expressed deep unhappiness with economic conditions and widespread distrust of both major parties, though Trump and Republicans took most of the blame. A majority said the president wasn’t improving their material financial conditions. A majority also saw his administration as uniquely corrupt, even as they voiced skepticism about corruption in both parties.

Kansas: A Red State Gets Competitive

Trump rallied in Park City, Kansas, for Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, who faces Democrat Adam Hamilton in a tight race. It’s a notable contest in a state Trump carried by more than 16 points in the 2024 presidential election. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report shifted the Senate race toward the Democrat and called it a “toss-up.” NBC News described the contest as competitive but leaning toward the GOP. Hamilton has won endorsements from several former Republican and Democratic governors.

Marshall’s pitch was familiar. He said Hamilton and Democrats would open the border, weaken the military and raise taxes, while Republicans would “give you secure borders, a strong military and lower taxes.” But he didn’t say what he’d do for Kansas if re-elected.

The rally quickly grew tense. Protesters interrupted Trump at least twice, less than five minutes into his remarks. Staff removed some, and Trump called them “paid protesters.”

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 then.

The governor’s race is also in play. Republican Ty Masterson faces Democrat Cindy Holscher to replace term-limited Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.

North Carolina: A House Seat Without Its Incumbent

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

Response to the Wichita Tragedy

Trump addressed Saturday’s crash at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita during his Kansas stop. A car drove through a youth soccer game, killing 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,” Trump said. He added: “You have great law enforcement, but we’re going to give them whatever help they need. We want to find out what happened.”

Authorities took the driver, a 34-year-old Kansas woman, into custody and later released her. She hasn’t been identified or charged. Police said she was cooperating and had a child playing soccer on a different field at the complex. Vehicle examinations and toxicology testing remained pending.

Ukraine Talks and Allied Questions

Officials from the United States and Ukraine were 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 Norwegian Embassy in Washington didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The talks come under a cloud. Recent Trump actions in favor of Russia have prompted questions from Congress and U.S. allies about the administration’s mediation efforts. Ukraine said Russian ballistic missiles hit Kyiv the previous day and that, for the third time in recent days, it received no early warning from the United States and its partners. Kyiv also said it faced speed restrictions on Starlink and Starshield, SpaceX’s military version of the service, with no explanation from the 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 Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff, and hoped to meet them “maybe in Norway in the coming days.”

Why This Matters:

A 71% wrong-track reading, driven largely by economic frustration, can reshape midterm math, and it’s appearing in places the GOP once took for granted. Kansas shifting from safe to “toss-up” in one rating tells the story. Voters who feel worse off financially don’t grade on a curve, and messages about borders, defense and taxes only go so far if household budgets stay tight. Abroad, unexplained gaps in warning and technology support raise a fair question about whether American mediation rests on a clear, consistent strategy. Allies and Congress are asking. Both fronts, economic and strategic, test whether the administration can show results before ballots are counted.