Why Trump is campaigning where he shouldn't Just days before the midterms, President Trump is spending his final campaign sprint in deep red territory — a clear sign that Republicans are playing defense in states they usually take for granted. Trump has made 20 stops in states he effectively won since September 9, compared to only six in battleground states. That includes four trips to Texas, two each to Ohio and Tennessee, and visits to Oklahoma, Kentucky and Alabama. He and Vice President J. Dee Vance will visit Texas - a state where he has won three consecutive presidential elections - eight times since Labor Day weekend. The urgency is easy to explain: A recent poll shows Texas Democratic state Rep. James Tallarico at 48 percent to Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton at 44 percent, within the margin of error. The red-state boost comes as Trump's approval rating hit a record low of 33 percent in an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll, with roughly 7 in 10 Americans saying gas is unaffordable and the country is headed in the wrong direction. Democrats are campaigning on affordability and ending the Iran war, while Republicans are pushing back on taxes, a culture war and transgender issues — even as some in the GOP urge the president and his cabinet to address voters' economic concerns. Two days ago, Trump campaigned in Mississippi, where no Democrat has won a seat in the Senate since 1982 and which he won by 23 points in 2024. Democrat Scott Collum challenged the president ahead of the rally: "A lot of people won't be able to make it to this rally because they can't afford the gas to get up here. Trump admitted he was there because he "couldn't take a chance" on Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith. "Sometimes when you think someone is doing so well, no one wants to - everyone stays at home. "The map is full of warning signs. In Kansas, Trump sympathizes with Sen. Roger Marshall, locked in what ABC considers a smear against the Democrat pastor.

Why Trump is campaigning where he shouldn't Just days before the midterms, President Trump is spending his final campaign sprint in deep red territory — a clear sign that Republicans are playing defense in states they usually take for granted. Trump has made 20 stops in states he effectively won since September 9, compared to only six in battleground states. That includes four trips to Texas, two each to Ohio and Tennessee, and visits to Oklahoma, Kentucky and Alabama. He and Vice President J. Dee Vance will visit Texas - a state where he has won three consecutive presidential elections - eight times since Labor Day weekend. The urgency is easy to explain: A recent poll shows Texas Democratic state Rep. James Tallarico at 48 percent to Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton at 44 percent, within the margin of error. The red-state boost comes as Trump's approval rating hit a record low of 33 percent in an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll, with roughly 7 in 10 Americans saying gas is unaffordable and the country is headed in the wrong direction. Democrats are campaigning on affordability and ending the Iran war, while Republicans are pushing back on taxes, a culture war and transgender issues — even as some in the GOP urge the president and his cabinet to address voters' economic concerns. Two days ago, Trump campaigned in Mississippi, where no Democrat has won a seat in the Senate since 1982 and which he won by 23 points in 2024. Democrat Scott Collum challenged the president ahead of the rally: "A lot of people won't be able to make it to this rally because they can't afford the gas to get up here. Trump admitted he was there because he "couldn't take a chance" on Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith. "Sometimes when you think someone is doing so well, no one wants to - everyone stays at home. "The map is full of warning signs. In Kansas, Trump sympathizes with Sen. Roger Marshall, locked in what ABC considers a smear against the Democrat pastor.