Donald Trump says Democrats ‘overplayed their hand’ on Brett Kavanaugh

With the midterm elections a month away, Republican voter enthusiasm is “the strongest I’ve ever seen it,” according to President Trump.

He argued that Democrats “overplayed their hand” with their fierce opposition to the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, who was sworn in Saturday after the Senate voted 50-48 to confirm him.

“The enthusiasm for the Republican Party is strongest I’ve ever seen it,” Mr. Trump said Saturday on Fox’s “Justice with Judge Jeanine.” “And it happened all over the last two to three weeks.”

He predicted that Republicans would pick up Senate seats as a result.

“I can tell you that he enthusiasm and the love and the feeling in the Republican Party right now is higher than I’ve ever seen it,” Mr. Trump said. “And you see polls that are going up like rocket ships, races that are going to be won by margins, or races frankly that Republicans wouldn’t have won. And now they’re leading.”

On the other side, Democrats are counting on voter rage over Justice Kavanaugh’s confirmation to help propel a “blue wave” that will carry their House and Senate candidates to victory in November.

Republicans argue that disgust with Senate Democrats and protesters has driven a voter backlash.

Mr. Trump tweeted Saturday night that Democrats are “too EXTREME and too DANGEROUS to govern,” quipping that, “You don’t hand matches to an arsonist, and you don’t give power to an angry left-wing mob.”

You don’t hand matches to an arsonist, and you don’t give power to an angry left-wing mob. Democrats have become too EXTREME and TOO DANGEROUS to govern. Republicans believe in the rule of law - not the rule of the mob. VOTE REPUBLICAN!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2018

An NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll released Wednesday found that the Democratic Party’s heady 10-point enthusiasm advantage in July had all but disappeared, shriveling to two points, a statistical tie.

“We can’t just completely dismiss the fact that Democratic anger is real, “ said NRA-TV conservative commentator Dan Bongino. “It’s just that I think Republican anger at a statewide level may be enough to counteract it on the Senate side.”

Democrats are still widely expected to retake the House, but American Conservative Union chairman Matt Schlapp said that “this Kavanaugh nomination puts the Republican House majority in a much better place.”

“I think on the Senate side, there’s no question these ruthless, disgusting, filthy attacks on Kavanaugh have galvanized Republican voters,” said Mr. Bongino. “And I think we actually stand a pretty darn good chance of picking up a few seats in the Senate, even flipping some.”