President Donald Trump could grind Democrats to a halt in next year's elections — if he begins acting more presidential, says Fred Barnes, co-founder and executive editor of The Weekly Standard.
"A consensus is forming that a wave election is coming in 2018 … Polls show Democrats with a huge advantage on the congressional ballot," Barnes writes in a column published Tuesday at WeeklyStandard.com.
"Republicans are more skillful in state elections, at least in my view, than Democrats are … But Democrats have the biggest issue of all in their grasp — Trump.
"He's unpopular even in states he won last year. His unpresidential behavior, more than his generally conservative agenda, stirs fierce opposition and is likely to drive up Democratic turnout."
But "what if" Trump's "style and conduct" were to change over the next year, Barnes asks.
"That could help Republicans prevent a wave election. But the chance of a New Trump emerging are slim to none. And that's optimistic," he says.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.