Midterm Polling Shows Tight Race Despite Trump's Unpopularity; Texas Senate Race a Bellwether

A new WaPo-Ipsos poll shows Democrats up 3 points nationally for midterms, with an 8-point lead among highly motivated voters. Trump's approval at 37% mirrors 2018 lows, but the generic ballot gap is narrower this cycle. In Texas, Ken Paxton's Senate campaign is struggling: Cornyn's major donors haven't backed him post-runoff, Democrat Talarico is outraising him 3-to-1, and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick warns 10-15% of GOP voters may stay home. This race is a key bellwether for midterm control and highlights lingering GOP fractures. A fact-check on Mullin's claim about foreign adversaries flipping votes confirms vulnerabilities but no evidence of real-world exploitation.