President Trump mounts aggressive midterm rally blitz across Republican strongholds
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President Trump is crisscrossing dozens of Republican-leaning areas, including some swing-state contests, in an October rally drive aimed at shoring up turnout for roughly 30 GOP candidates ahead of the midterm elections.
President Trump began an aggressive October rally tour designed to mobilize the Republican base and prop up about 30 GOP candidates ahead of the midterm elections. After a September dinner with Republican contenders in the White House Rose Garden, he promised to visit every one of the "35 places" he mentioned, although the White House has not disclosed the exact locations.
Since making that pledge, Trump has largely steered his travel toward reliably Republican states rather than the swing states and districts he originally referenced. Stops this week have included Arizona, Montana, Ohio, Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Alaska, where he campaigned for Sen. Dan Sullivan and Rep. Nick Begich, both of whom are locked in tight races.
"I'm going to go to every one of those 35 places and we're going to see if we can get everyone elected," Trump said at the Rose Garden dinner.
"So, I do it to thank them. I also do it because we have some great people there that are running and I want to make sure they win," Trump told reporters between rally stops in Arizona and Montana.
"This is worth the 8 hours in a plane," he added after the Alaska appearance.
RNC Chairman Joe Gruters stressed the turnout operation, saying, "It's turnout, turnout, turnout. How do you get the base to show up? You put the president on the ballot. You put him out there."
The campaign itinerary also includes a planned stop in Kansas, where a U.S. Senate race is regarded as a toss-up, and a rally in Greenville, North Carolina, where Republican campaign committees have begun canceling ad reservations for their Senate candidate, suggesting growing doubts about the race's prospects.
Trump’s messaging remains unchanged, centering on his past election victories, proposed policies and a promised $5,000 dividend to each adult American if Republicans win control of Congress, an idea that has faced pushback from some elected Republicans.
Democratic officials, such as North Carolina Democratic Party chair Anderson Clayton, warned that the late-stage push may fail to move voters, stating, "I think it's going to backfire on them this year in every way shape and form. He's trying to drum up any amount of support that he can at the last minute. But I don't think that North Carolinians are going to fall for it again."
The tour reflects a broader Republican effort to shore up support in places that were once considered safe but are now seeing tighter races, as the party tries to offset weakening turnout in elections where President Trump is not on the ballot.