Reporter's Notebook: GOP bets on fraud crackdown as economic woes surge ahead of midterms

The GOP’s campaign message about a porous border resonated with voters in 2024. Voters routinely listed border security as the first or second most important issue to them in multiple polls ahead of the last election.

But how about ahead of the midterms?

Well, the border is sealed. The nation’s economic outlook is shaky as the war in Iran drags on. Gas prices are skyrocketing. And the hallmark of President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda — The One Big Beautiful Bill — hasn’t materialized as a campaign juggernaut.