Trump, Vance Campaign to Boost Competitive Texas, Oklahoma & Florida Races/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance are campaigning Thursday in heavily Republican areas as the party seeks to strengthen turnout ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms. Their appearances come as a new AP-NORC poll shows Trump’s economic approval at 26%, with only 17% approving of his handling of living costs. Republicans say the travel will energize supporters, while Democrats argue the visits reveal growing concern about races once considered comfortable GOP victories.
Quick Look
- Trump begins campaign push: Thursday’s Texas and Oklahoma visits launch what he describes as a 32-day campaign blitz.
- Vance campaigns in Florida: The vice president is scheduled to appear with gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds in Lakeland.
- Economic ratings weaken: Trump’s approval stands at 26% on the economy and 17% on living costs.
- Texas Senate race draws attention: Republican Ken Paxton faces Democrat James Talarico in a highly competitive contest.
- Oklahoma governor’s race: Trump will campaign with Republican Mike Mazzei, who faces Democrat Cyndi Munson.
- Regional strategy: Stops in Oklahoma and Alabama are intended to reach voters in neighboring Texas and Florida.
- More visits scheduled: Trump plans appearances in Alabama Friday, Ohio Saturday and Nebraska Monday.
- Near-daily campaigning: White House officials have outlined an extensive travel schedule through the election.
Deep Look
Trump and Vance Seek to Energize Republican Strongholds
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance are heading to heavily Republican areas Thursday as GOP candidates confront unexpectedly difficult races ahead of the midterm elections.
Trump’s stops in Texas and Oklahoma begin what he has described as a 32-day campaign push leading to Nov. 3. Vance will campaign in central Florida.
The appearances place the party’s two highest-ranking officials in areas where Republican candidates previously expected relatively straightforward victories but now need additional support.
Control of Congress is at stake, while competitive governor’s races are also drawing national attention.
Economic Dissatisfaction Creates Difficult Campaign Conditions
A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that just 26% of U.S. adults approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, a new low.
Only 17% approve of his handling of the cost of living.
Republicans have voiced increasing pessimism about the election as high prices persist and the unpopular war with Iran continues.
Trump has repeatedly dismissed concerns about costs and gasoline prices. He argues that Republicans’ difficulties largely reflect inadequate promotion of his administration’s accomplishments.
“We’re not getting the word out,” he told reporters Wednesday. “I mean, we’re just not getting it.”
“I’m going out because nobody’s selling it,” Trump said.
He is urging Republican voters to approach the election as though his own name were on the ballot.
Republicans Tout Momentum as Democrats Describe Desperation
Republican National Committee spokesperson Delanie Bomar defended the campaign strategy.
She said “the president is barnstorming the country, energizing our base, and supercharging Republican candidates in battleground districts and beyond. We have the resources to spend, and Republicans are full steam ahead to protect and expand our majorities.”
The Democratic National Committee offered a sharply different interpretation, saying Trump and Vance are “desperately trying to rally their base as the midterm elections approach and Republicans face defeat.”
“Donald Trump and JD Vance started a deadly and costly war with Iran that sent the economy spiraling and pushed prices even higher, and now — in the final stretch to the midterms — they’re desperately pleading with voters to ‘give (them) another chance,’” said DNC deputy communications director Kendall Witmer.
Trump Visits Texas as Paxton Faces Talarico
Trump is scheduled to tour a truck manufacturing facility in Denton, Texas, before traveling to Oklahoma.
He is expected to speak in Denton around 4 p.m. Eastern time.
Republicans are spending heavily to support state Attorney General Ken Paxton in his Senate contest against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico.
Two campaign officials familiar with Paxton’s plans said he intended to join Trump at the official White House event. They spoke anonymously because the schedule had not yet been made public.
The race has become highly competitive despite Texas’ longstanding Republican lean.
Oklahoma Rally Supports Mazzei’s Governor Bid
Trump’s evening rally in Durant, Oklahoma, is scheduled for 7 p.m. Eastern time.
He will campaign with Republican Mike Mazzei, who faces Democratic state House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson in the governor’s race.
Democratic Governors Association spokesperson Kevin Donohoe described the visit as evidence that Republicans “are in full-on panic mode.”
“This race continues to get more competitive — and national Republicans are right to be worried about Mazzei,” he said.
The event will take place on the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, making Trump one of a small number of sitting U.S. presidents to visit a tribal nation.
Campaign Stops Aim to Reach Neighboring States
Republican strategists expect Trump to visit more competitive areas during the coming weeks, while avoiding locations where they believe his presence could hurt GOP candidates.
A person familiar with the strategy said the Oklahoma stop and Friday’s Alabama appearance are designed to influence voters across state lines.
Durant’s proximity to the Dallas-Fort Worth media market could carry Trump’s message to Texas voters. He is also expected to discuss Paxton while speaking in Oklahoma.
Friday’s visit to Mobile, Alabama, is intended to help Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s campaign for governor and reach voters in Florida’s neighboring panhandle.
The person spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss the strategy publicly.
Vance Joins Donalds in Central Florida
Vance is scheduled to rally with Republican Rep. Byron Donalds in Lakeland, Floridaat 11:30 a.m. Eastern time Thursday.
Donalds is running for governor against David Jolly, a former Republican who later became an independent and is now campaigning as a Democrat.
The contest comes amid political turbulence for Florida Republicans, with affordability and artificial intelligence data centers emerging as important issues.
Trump’s Alabama visit is also intended to strengthen support for Donalds among voters in the Florida panhandle.
Vance Acknowledges Frustration but Blames Biden
The Florida appearance follows Vance’s campaign stop Wednesday in Harlingen, Texas, where he rallied with Republican Eric Flores.
Flores is competing in a tight U.S. House race in south Texas.
Vance acknowledged frustration with high prices but attributed the difficulties to the previous administration.
“I know that there are people out there who are frustrated by the pace of progress,” he said, but “we have spent every single day fighting for you, digging ourselves out of the hole that Joe Biden left us in.”
Trump’s subsequent travel includes Vandalia, Ohio, on Saturday and Grand Island, Nebraska, on Monday.
White House Prepares Near-Daily Campaign Schedule
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles privately outlined Trump’s travel plans to Republican senators on Capitol Hill this week.
Attendees described an extensive schedule involving appearances across the country on nearly every day before the election.
West Virginia Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito said White House officials are “acknowledging the headwinds” but that “they have a strategy, and we have a strategy.”
She also pointed to financial support that Trump’s political operation will continue providing.
GOP Leaders See Trump as a Turnout Driver
Capito defended the decision to send Trump into traditionally conservative areas, arguing that his appearances can motivate Republican voters beyond the communities he visits.
His national reach, she said, allows local campaign events to influence supporters elsewhere.
“He can get more of his voters out — that are going to be our voters — than anybody else,” Capito said.
Republicans are counting on that mobilizing power as they attempt to overcome economic dissatisfaction and protect their congressional majorities.
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