Overview
- President Trump is running a late-stage string of rallies in reliably Republican states to boost struggling Senate allies, including a stop in Grand Island, Nebraska, where he campaigned with Sen. Pete Ricketts on Monday.
- Several Senate Republicans have voiced open unease with the strategy, with Sen. John Cornyn saying more rallies are not the answer and Sen. Thom Tillis warning there is a risk the president could 'lash out' if Republicans suffer heavy losses.
- Recent New York Times/Siena polling shows unexpectedly close Senate contests in once-safe GOP states, including Texas, Ohio, Alaska, Kansas and Iowa, stretching Republican resources and forcing defensive operations.
- The party’s political strain is compounded by reporting that President Trump directed the use of about $20 million in Department of Homeland Security funds for television ads that portray his presidency positively in the midterm window.
- Local economic pressures such as high diesel prices and a temporary suspension of beef tariffs are creating voter anger in farming and rural communities while Democrats step up high-profile surrogates and targeted organizing ahead of Election Day.