Stephen Farnsworth, political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, told Newsweek that voters “often punish the president’s party in midterm elections.” Trump’s unusually low approval rating is making things worse for Republicans compared to the usual midterm pain for the party in the White House, he said.
Stephen Farnsworth, author of Spinner in Chief: How Presidents Sell Their Policies and Themselves, says it’s difficult to imagine that anyone other than the base will bother to tune in. “The challenge, I think, for Trump TV is whether you’re going to reach anyone other than the already committed Trump voters,” he says.
Media scholars have also questioned what the shift could mean for how Americans receive information about the presidency. Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor, said Trump has repeatedly tried to communicate his version of events directly to the public.
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The dispute is over a broader effort dating back to Trump’s first term to control the narrative surrounding his presidency while bypassing a more critical mainstream media, says Stephen Farnsworth, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va. “Over and over again, I think President Trump has really decided what he wants to do is tell the Trump story himself.”
Stephen Farnsworth, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Mary Washington, said the fight over mail voting and concerns about Election Day could persuade more people to cast their ballots early. “President Trump’s continuing efforts to make voting harder, and the possibility of mayhem on Election Day, should really energize early voting in Virginia and around the country this fall,” Farnsworth said. “Virginians have already demonstrated a great willingness to vote early and this year may see even more interest.”
“Well, I think Mark Warner is one of the few Virginia Democrats who has been very effective across his political career in reaching out to the more centrist and more conservative voters,” said Stephen Farnsworth, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Mary Washington.
