'It's really critical': Mark Kelly urges Democrats ramp up efforts to take back Congress

Senator Mark Kelly said Sunday that it has become critical for the Democratic Party to take control of Congress by winning the upcoming midterm elections in November. Kelly claimed that the Trump administration is "flailing" in Iran without a clear strategy, calling the operation a "disaster" that has raised prices for Americans. Kelly made the remarks during an interview on NBC News's 'Meet the Press'.

"It's really critical that Democrats win back the House and the Senate and put a check on a president who is so corrupt, there's nothing to compare him to," Kelly said in the interview. He further alleged that President Donald Trump's only priority is to enrich himself and his family, and his policies have made it worse for the American people. "It is corruption we’ve never seen before," he scathed. 

In the interview, Kelly also touched upon the Iran war, claiming that the United States is stuck with negotiations not progressing "because this president got into this without a strategic goal." He referred to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth using terms like "maximum lethality" as evidence of simply wanting to drive numbers up, which has cost taxpayers because of the costly supplies being dispensed. "The price of gas, $4.50 a gallon here in Arizona, over $4 a gallon across the country, people can't afford groceries and rent," Kelly said, labeling the war a disaster. The Arizona senator said he hoped Democrats take over Congress to put a check on the President's powers and corruption.

As per polls, Democrats are currently favored to win the House but are slight underdogs in the fight for the Senate with just 100 days to go before the midterms. The latest Fox News poll shows Democrats are ahead by 7 points on the generic ballot; the Decision Desk HQ forecasts Democrats winning a 15-seat advantage in a 225-210 House, while Republicans could narrowly retain power in a 50-50 Senate with Vice President J.D. Vance holding the tiebreaker vote. As of late July, Democrats have a 60% probability of winning the lower chamber, while Republicans have a 60% chance of holding the Senate, as per the analysis. 

Thus, both parties are in a close battle in the high-stakes election, with Democrats holding the edge over Republicans who are worried about the escalation of the Iran war. The renewed fighting in the Middle East has threatened to raise inflation again and put pressure on American consumers. Meanwhile, Democrats are dealing with a debate over the direction of the party, which has become the primary line of attack for the GOP. Recent wins by democratic socialist candidates in House primaries have sparked concerns of the Democratic Party appearing too extreme. The GOP leaders have frequently called out the Party as "Marxist" and "communist," a line of attack being emphasized by Trump in Washington as well.