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Trump opens a 32-day midterm campaign tour with rallies in Texas and Oklahoma
October 2, 2026
Trump holds rallies in Texas and Oklahoma to start a 32-day push before the November midterms, with Alabama, Ohio and Nebraska next on his schedule.
Control of Congress is at stake in the November 3 midterm elections, and Trump was impeached twice during his first presidency.
AP News reports that Trump went to Texas and Oklahoma to start a 32-day run of campaign events before the November 3 vote, saying it will do a better job of selling what his administration has done, while Vice President JD Vance also took to the trail. AP News adds a poll in which only 17% of US adults approve of how Trump handles the cost of living, and it reports that Trump blamed poor public relations for his party's troubles. Al Jazeera carries the same theme from the Peterbilt factory in Denton: “We’re doing an extremely poor job of promotion and an extremely great job of running the country,” Trump said. Al Jazeera also reports that he returned to immigration and transgender rights and touted his tariffs, which face court challenges.
The New York Times reports from the Oklahoma rally in Durant, where Trump again promised each adult $5,000 should Republicans hold Congress, and where he voiced concern about a third impeachment. Its headline frames the rally as a performance for supporters who already back him, and The Hill's headline says the tour of red states is stirring unease among Republicans. The Hill quotes analysts reading the stops as a signal: Scott Tranter said, “Campaigns and presidents don’t spend time where they’re not needed, so that is a data point.” A Republican source tells The Hill the visits aim to replicate the party's 2024 turnout. The New York Times also cites a New York Times/Siena poll in which 64 percent of independent voters disapprove of Trump's handling of immigration. Newsweek focuses on Ken Paxton's Senate bid, where Trump called him a pain at an event in Texas.
The outlets agree on the tour's start, its stops and the low approval numbers they cite. What the visits mean for Republican chances in November is still developing.
Still developing
What the red state tour signals for the GOP was still coming in at the time of this draft.
How settled the reporting is
Sources
- AP News — Trump and Vance hit the campaign trail in deep-red areas where GOP candidates seek a boost - The Herald Palladium
- The New York Times — Trump Puts on a Midterms Show for an Audience That’s Already Sold - The New York Times
- The Hill — Trump’s red-state tour raises eyebrows and anxiety among Republicans ahead of midterms
- Al Jazeera — Trump launches midterms campaign blitz amid record low approval ratings | Donald Trump News | Al Jazeera
- newsweek.com — Texas Is Democrat Blue Mirage. Paxton, Trump Polls May Bring It Into Focus - Newsweek
- thedailybeast.com — Trump Breaks Law During Desperate Bid to Stop Blue Wave
Toggle read the full reports of all 7 outlets counted on this event.