Former President Barack Obama is announcing new campaign moves as President Donald Trump travels the country ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. With only three weeks until November 3, Democrats and Republicans are working to win over undecided voters while ramping up enthusiasm among their own base to try to win majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Polling has given Democrats an edge in the House, while control of the Senate is seen as a sharply competitive contest that could come down to only a handful of states.
Democrats are hopeful about the national environment, believing Trump’s low national approval rating and economic concerns centered on the cost of living could boost them in this year’s elections. Historically, the party in the White House loses seats in the midterms when the party is unpopular. But Republicans are hoping to strategically deploy Trump, who remains popular with Republicans despite his overall approval rating falling, to try to motivate turnout among the conservative base, as polling suggests their enthusiasm has lagged.
Natalie Baldassarre, the national press secretary for the Republican National Committee, told Newsweek the midterms are “all about turnout,” and that “there's no one who energizes and engages voters like President Donald J. Trump.” “Republicans are thinking outside the box to fight the typical midterm precedent, and the president is barnstorming the country to tout his historic achievements and give candidates a boost to defy history in November - something Sleepy Joe could never do,” she said. Newsweek also reached out to the Democratic National Committee (DNC) for comment via email.
Trump has held campaign rallies in nearly two dozen states so far this year, accounting for both the primaries and general election seasons. Many of his recent rallies have been in more conservative states like Nebraska, Oklahoma and Tennessee. But he has also made appearances in important battleground states like Ohio and North Carolina, both of which have highly competitive Senate races.
The president has several rallies on his calendar for this week, including one in Youngstown, Ohio on Monday; Wasilla, Alaska on Tuesday; Bullhead City, Arizona and Kalispell, Montana on Wednesday; and Dalton, Georgia on Friday. In September, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, was asked how Trump campaigning in Republican areas is “helpful” for the party. Obama has taken a more selective approach.
While he has endorsed several candidates, he only has one rally on his agenda in Detroit, Michigan, to support Democrats Jocelyn Benson and Abdul El-Sayed in the gubernatorial and Senate races. He is also appearing in advertisements for El-Sayed and Scott Colom, the Democratic candidate in the Mississippi Senate race. He also made a surprise appearance with James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic candidates in Texas' Senate and governor's races, earlier this year.
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