Trump Campaigns in Republican Strongholds Ahead of Midterm Elections

<figure><img alt="President Donald Trump arrives for a campaign rally at the Menard Memorial Sports Center on October 13, 2026 in Wasilla, Alaska. President Trump is in Alaska campaigning for local Republican candidates ahead of the midterm elections." src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/OHMWJDFIANHCZKYC4I2Y7O3KHY.jpg?auth=00af26a8de6a9327a48c5b6c1dd5dc43a801e6c993befd636abb608358b3d424&amp;smart=true&amp;width=4032&amp;height=2268" /><figcaption>Alex Wong/Getty Images</figcaption></figure><p>Donald Trump spent Wednesday in Arizona and Montana as he continued his campaign tour ahead of the midterm elections.</p><p>His travel schedule indicates a focus on Republican strongholds, avoiding major battleground districts where House candidates may be hesitant to align with the president, whose popularity has declined.</p><p>Republican strategist Kevin Madden stated that with three weeks until the election, Trump's strategy appears to be defensive, aimed at solidifying support in areas where he has previously won.</p><p>Trump began his midterm campaign with a rally in Durant, Oklahoma, a district he won by over 55 points in the last election, followed by a rally in Mobile, Alabama, where he won by 36 points.</p><p>Out of the fifteen rallies he has attended or announced, all but one were in districts he won in 2024, with most victories by double digits. His average margin of victory in these districts exceeds 25 points.</p><p>The only district he has visited that he lost in 2024 is Syracuse, New York, which is currently rated as a “Solid Democrat” seat by the Cook Political Report.</p><p>Among the districts he has visited or will visit, nine are rated “Solid Republican,” two are “Likely Republican,” and two are “Lean Republican.” His schedule does not include any stops in “Toss-Up” districts.</p><p>Madden noted that candidates are likely to benefit from focusing on local issues rather than national trends, which can be challenging but may lead to better election outcomes.</p><p>One of the more competitive locations he visited was Kalispell, Montana, where he won by over 11 points in the last election, although GOP Senator Tim Sheehy did not win the district statewide. The seat is currently rated “Lean Republican.”</p><p>Trump also visited a district in San Antonio that is rated “Lean Republican” and is an open seat, one of five seats Republicans aimed to flip from blue to red through redistricting.</p><p>Currently, Trump's job approval rating is approximately 38 percent, with 61 percent disapproving, according to the latest Economist/YouGov Poll. Among Independents, only 25 percent approve of his performance.</p><p>Despite this, 80 percent of Republicans still approve of him, which is crucial for his strategy to mobilize voters in red areas.</p><p>A GOP official familiar with the midterm strategy indicated that the plan focuses on increasing turnout among base voters in Republican areas, particularly targeting low-to-mid-propensity voters who typically do not participate in midterm elections.</p><p>The official acknowledged that while Trump and the national party aim to drive turnout, individual candidates are responsible for persuading Independent voters to win their races.</p><p>The latest generic congressional ballot poll shows Democrats leading by seven points, with 46 percent favoring the Democratic candidate and 39 percent favoring the Republican candidate.</p><video id="1lYQDrZV" poster="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/1lYQDrZV/poster.jpg"><source src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/videos/1lYQDrZV.mp4" type="video/mp4" /></video><p></p>