Nicolai Haugsted
Trump is heading back to friendly territory as Republicans prepare for a difficult midterm fight
Donald Trump has given himself quite the campaign assignment for the final stretch before November.
The president promised Republicans that he would personally travel to 35 competitive races and help drag their candidates across the finish line. With control of Congress at stake, Trump has made himself a central part of the GOP’s midterm strategy.
His first two destinations in the October push, however, are not exactly nail-biters.
Trump will head to Oklahoma and Alabama this week, states he won by overwhelming margins in 2024, while Republicans elsewhere are fighting considerably tighter contests. The choice comes as Trump’s national approval ratings remain weak and some GOP candidates in competitive races have sought greater distance from the president.
Republicans insist there is more strategy behind the itinerary than the electoral maps might suggest.
Trump gave himself 35 places to visit
Trump laid out his ambitious travel plans during a White House Rose Garden dinner with Republican lawmakers earlier this month.
“It’s all about 35 races,” Trump said according to The mirror.
“I’m going to go to every one of those 35 places, and we’re going to see if we can get everyone elected.”
His description made clear that he was primarily interested in races where Republicans genuinely needed help.
“Please don’t ask me to come to your area and make a speech,” Trump joked to lawmakers holding comfortable leads.
The opening stops therefore stand out.
Trump is scheduled to appear in Durant, Oklahoma, on Thursday before traveling to Mobile, Alabama, on Friday.
Oklahoma gave Trump 66 percent of its presidential vote in 2024, while Alabama handed him roughly 65 percent. Trump carried every county in Oklahoma.
Republicans say the map is bigger than two states
Trump’s political team has an explanation for starting on friendly ground.
Durant sits close enough to the Dallas-Fort Worth media market for the event to reach voters in Texas, where Republicans are dealing with several important contests. Mobile similarly offers access to audiences beyond Alabama itself.
Texas is particularly important.
Republican Ken Paxton, backed by Trump, is running against Democrat James Talarico for the Senate. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is also seeking another term against Democrat Gina Hinojosa.
Oklahoma provides Trump with another reason to show up. Mike Mazzei, his preferred Republican candidate for governor, is running against Democratic state House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson.
Alabama also has a congressional contest Republicans want to flip, with Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures facing Trump-backed Republican Rhett Marques in the 2nd District.
Republicans therefore reject the idea that Trump is simply retreating to places guaranteed to cheer him.
“The President’s ability to engage with and activate low-propensity voters is unmatched,” Republican National Committee spokesperson Natalie Baldassarre said. “That’s why he’ll be barnstorming the country to activate the voters we need to win in November.”
Some Republicans are putting a little space between themselves and Trump
Trump’s usefulness on the campaign trail is not equally straightforward everywhere.
Some Republican candidates in competitive races have reduced references to the president on their campaign websites, while others have publicly broken with him over the war with Iran. AP reported that the distancing comes as candidates try to reach voters beyond Trump’s loyal MAGA base.
Such maneuvering creates an unusual balancing act for the party.
Trump can motivate voters who might otherwise stay home during a midterm election, which explains why Republican leaders still see him as an important turnout weapon.
His weaker standing among the broader electorate can simultaneously make a Trump-heavy campaign less appealing in closely divided districts. Recent reporting describes his approval rating as remaining around a second-term low.
Democrats naturally have their own interpretation of the red-state schedule.
“The political floor is falling out from underneath Trump and Congressional Republicans, forcing them to scramble to spend and campaign in deep red territory in the final weeks,” Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Viet Shelton said.
That is a partisan assessment rather than proof that Trump’s itinerary was dictated by his approval ratings. Republican officials say the locations were deliberately selected to boost turnout and reach nearby competitive races.
