Trump Ramps Up Campaign Efforts in Deep-Red States Ahead of Midterms

President Donald Trump is intensifying his campaign efforts with a series of rallies in reliably Republican states as the midterm elections approach. These visits aim to bolster GOP majorities in Congress, particularly as Democrats show strength in some unexpected areas.

According to ABC News tracking, Trump has made 19 stops in states he won decisively and six in battleground states since September 9. His itinerary includes multiple visits to Texas, Ohio, and Tennessee, as well as appearances in Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Alabama. On Tuesday, Trump is scheduled for two rallies in Texas, a state he has won in three presidential elections. Vice President JD Vance is also slated to campaign in Texas later this week, marking at least eight visits by both Trump and Vance to the state since Labor Day weekend.

A recent poll in Texas indicated a close race for Attorney General, with Democratic state Representative James Talarico receiving 48% support and Republican incumbent Ken Paxton receiving 44%, a difference within the poll's margin of error. This suggests a need for robust campaigning even in traditionally Republican strongholds.

Trump's concentrated travel to red states occurs just days before the high-stakes midterm elections, where control of Congress is on the line. While Democratic candidates are largely focusing on issues like affordability and ending the Iran war, Republicans are emphasizing taxes, cultural issues, and transgender topics, urging the president and his Cabinet to address voter economic concerns.

The president's own approval ratings have seen a dip, reaching a record low of 33% in a recent ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll. Concurrently, approximately seven in ten Americans perceive gas prices as unaffordable and believe the country is heading in the wrong direction.

Earlier this week, Trump campaigned in Mississippi, a state where no Democrat has won a U.S. Senate seat since 1982. He carried Mississippi by a 23-point margin in the 2024 presidential election. Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith is seeking reelection against Democrat Scott Colom. Trump stated his support for Hyde-Smith, emphasizing the need to avoid complacency, "so that's why I'm here."

Last week, Trump visited Kansas to support incumbent Republican Senator Roger Marshall in a race rated as a toss-up by ABC News. Marshall is facing Democrat Rev. Adam Hamilton, who is polling evenly with Marshall among likely Kansas voters, according to a New York Times/Siena University poll. Trump is scheduled to return to Kansas this Saturday.

In Wisconsin's closely watched 3rd Congressional District, where the race between Democrat Rebecca Cooke and Republican incumbent Derrick Van Orden was recently shifted to "lean Democrat" by ABC News, several Republican figures, including Trump, Vance, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Speaker Mike Johnson, have made campaign stops.

Trump surrogates are also actively campaigning in Iowa, a state Trump won in the last three presidential elections. Trump has already visited Sioux City, with another rally planned for Dubuque shortly before the midterms. Iowa Democratic Senate candidate Josh Turek has commented that Trump's visit highlights the impact of healthcare funding cuts and tariffs on Iowans, asserting that the war in Iran has disproportionately affected the state. Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson, running against Turek, has praised Trump but has also called for an end to the Iran war.

Cabinet members have also visited Iowa in significant numbers, with at least nine visiting in August, underscoring the competitiveness of the state's House, Senate, and gubernatorial races.