Trump Plans Mobile Rally October 2 with Senate Candidate.
Trump will rally in Durant, Oklahoma and Mobile, Alabama next week, opening his October campaign schedule in two heavily Republican states.
- Oklahoma's 2nd congressional district, where Durant sits, is rated R+28 by the Cook Political Report.
- Mobile's district voted nearly 80 percent Republican last cycle; Republicans lead there by about 10 points now.
- 32% — Trump's approval rating in a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, his lowest recorded.
- $2.5 billion federal loan for the Mobile River Bridge was announced the week before the planned rally.
Why it matters: Democrats are contesting Senate seats in Alaska and Texas, states once considered safely Republican, and prediction markets now favor Democrats to win the House and Senate.
- Some Republicans have distanced themselves from Trump, removing references to him on campaign websites and opposing his Iran policy.
- Republican pollsters told Iowa House members that candidates in districts Trump won by 15 points are now within the margin of error.
How 14 sources split on this story
Where they split: Whether the rallies are a strategic miscalculation or a deliberate turnout play using cross-border media markets in Texas and Florida.
Center coverage, 7 sources: The center presents the stops as a tension between Trump's need for enthusiastic crowds and his party's need for strategic campaigning in genuinely competitive districts.
Associated Press3hTrump said he would campaign in midterm battlegrounds. He's starting in deep red states instead
Bloomberg20hTrump to Campaign in Oklahoma, Alabama as Midterms Creep CloserNOTNOTUS2hTrump Forgoes Battleground Rally Promise for a Red State Tour - The Washington Sun
PBS NewsHour2hTrump promised to campaign in midterm battlegrounds. He's starting in deep red states instead
The Hill9hTrump to campaign in deep red Oklahoma, AlabamaLeft coverage, 6 sources: The left frames the rallies as evidence of Republican panic, arguing Trump is shoring up territory that should be safe while Democrats expand the map into states like Kansas and Texas.
Politico1hTrump will hit several deep-red states in October campaign blitz
Raw Story11hTrump makes 'confounding decision' in deep-red state as Dems make other gains: report
Political Wire9hTrump Plans to Visit Tennessee, Oklahoma and AlabamaDKDaily Kos6hTrump retreats to red-state safe spaces to campaign
Los Angeles Times2hTrump starts campaigning in deep red states, not midterm battlegrounds
The Washington Post10hTrump to campaign in deep-red states as GOP plays defenseRight coverage, 1 sources: The right notes Republican anxiety about the rally choices, drawing comparisons to the 2006 midterm cycle, but also reports the RNC's media-market rationale for the locations.
What’s next: The RNC says Durant's proximity to Dallas puts Trump's rally in the Texas media market.
- Mobile shares a TV market with Florida's panhandle, where Trump allies are running for governor.
- Senate Majority PAC is weighing spending in Kansas, Texas, and other traditionally Republican states.
- Will Trump hold rallies in the 35 competitive House districts he promised to visit before Election Day?
- Can cross-border media market reach in Texas and Florida offset the cost of two stops in non-competitive territory?