Trump’s midterm blitz hits red states as approval sits near 32%
The president’s first major November campaign swing is focused on GOP strongholds while Democrats say they are “on the edge” of flipping a narrowly divided Congress.
The schedule: President Donald Trump’s first major midterm campaign blitz is running through traditional Republican states, USA TODAY reported Oct. 3. He visited Texas and Oklahoma on Oct. 1 and Alabama on Oct. 2, with Ohio set for Oct. 3 and Nebraska for Oct. 5. Trump has pledged to barnstorm 35 competitive congressional races in the final month before the Nov. 3 election. “I won all of them by a lot. I’m going there just to make sure,” he told reporters Oct. 1 on the way to Texas, USA TODAY said.
Republicans control the Senate 53-47 and the House 218-214, with one independent who used to be a Republican, so flipping any seat matters to both parties, USA TODAY reported. AL.com covered Trump’s Oct. 2 Mobile rally backing Alabama Republicans, including the heated AL-02 contest after a map redraw that pits Republican state Rep. Rhett Marques against Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures.
Approval and turnout risk: A Reuters/Ipsos poll of 1,277 adults conducted Sept. 17–20 put Trump’s approval at 32% — the lowest of his presidency in that reporting — with frustration tied to the economy and the war with Iran that has pushed up gas prices, USA TODAY said. Jessica Taylor of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report called Trump “a double-edged sword”: he can motivate Democratic turnout even as Republicans need him to turn out their own voters. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Americans are frustrated with higher costs and that Democrats are “on the edge of taking back the Senate.”
Money and key races: Democrats’ three major party organizations had $130.4 million on hand Aug. 31 versus $238.6 million for Republican counterparts, according to Federal Election Commission figures cited by USA TODAY. Republicans spent $200 million more on congressional ads in September than Democrats, AdImpact data showed. In Texas, state Rep. James Talarico and GOP Senate nominee Ken Paxton are within the RealClearPolitics average margin. In Ohio, appointed Sen. Jon Husted and former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown are running close. In Nebraska, Sen. Pete Ricketts faces independent Dan Osborn in a surprisingly competitive race. Alabama’s gubernatorial matchup pits Sen. Tommy Tuberville against former Democratic Sen. Doug Jones.
What this means: Trump is spending scarce campaign days locking down red-state turnout while his low approval and Democratic generic-ballot hopes keep November’s House and Senate map unsettled — and make every visit a turnout play for both sides.