Trump Makes 14 Midterm Stops in Red States as GOP Trails Democrats 59%-35% in Voter Motivation
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Oct 12
Trump Makes 14 Midterm Stops in Red States as GOP Trails Democrats 59%-35% in Voter Motivation
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Oct 12
Summary
Fourteen out-of-state stops since Labor Day show Trump concentrating his midterm roadshow on Republican strongholds such as Ohio, Alaska, Arizona and Montana rather than riskier battlegrounds like Maine or New Hampshire.
A 59%-35% Democratic edge among extremely motivated voters, according to Pew, has pushed advisers to use rallies to turn out irregular Trump supporters and collect contact data for follow-up voter outreach.
That strategy is constrained by Trump's low approval ratings and by concerns he could hurt tight House races, leading aides to favor Senate contests and heavily conservative areas where friendly crowds are assured.
Logistics and personal preference also shape the schedule: Trump, 80, signs off on weekly stops, avoids overnight stays away from his properties, and even built one Tennessee rally around a planned Alabama-Georgia football trip later canceled by weather.
The blitz underscores a defensive GOP effort to limit losses while Trump seeks the political lift of loyal crowds even as some allies question whether constant rallies help an unpopular president.