Vice President JD Vance and President Donald Trump are campaigning in heavily Republican states on Thursday, aiming to shore up party enthusiasm ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. Vance spoke at a rally in Lakeland, Florida, supporting Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds, while Trump traveled to Texas and Oklahoma to support candidates in competitive races. The joint campaign effort comes as new polling indicates declining approval ratings for the administration's handling of the economy.
The president described the upcoming travel as a 32-day campaign blitz intended to persuade GOP voters to support Republican candidates, whom he said are struggling to get their message out. "We're not getting the word out," Trump told reporters on Wednesday. "I mean, we're just not getting it." He added, "I'm going out because nobody's selling it." Vance’s appearance in Florida follows a campaign stop in Texas on Wednesday, where he rallied with Republican House candidate Eric Flores.
What the Left Is Saying
Democratic officials characterized the intensive travel schedule as a sign of Republican desperation ahead of the midterms. The Democratic National Committee stated that Trump and Vance are "desperately trying to rally their base as the midterm elections approach and Republicans face defeat."
Kendall Witmer, the DNC deputy communications director, argued that the administration's policies have negatively impacted the economy. "Donald Trump and JD Vance started a deadly and costly war with Iran that sent the economy spiraling and pushed prices even higher," Witmer said. He noted that in the final stretch to the midterms, the GOP is "desperately pleading with voters to 'give (them) another chance.'"
Kevin Donohoe, a spokesperson for the Democratic Governors Association, said Trump’s campaign rally in Oklahoma demonstrates that Republicans "are in full-on panic mode." Donohoe noted that the race between Democratic candidate Cyndi Munson and Republican Mike Mazzei for the governorship in Oklahoma "continues to get more competitive," adding that "national Republicans are right to be worried about Mazzei."
What the Right Is Saying
Republican officials framed the campaign blitz as a strategic effort to energize the base and protect legislative majorities. Delanie Bomar, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, said in a statement that "the president is barnstorming the country, energizing our base, and supercharging Republican candidates in battleground districts and beyond."
Bomar added that "We have the resources to spend, and Republicans are full steam ahead to protect and expand our majorities." The strategy involves targeting traditional Republican strongholds to maximize turnout rather than solely focusing on swing districts, a move one party official described as necessary to counter "lagging enthusiasm."
Vice President Vance addressed voter frustration with prices while maintaining that the administration has worked to reverse policies from the previous term. "I know that there are people out there who are frustrated by the pace of progress," Vance said in Harlingen, Texas, on Wednesday. He argued, "we have spent every single day fighting for you, digging ourselves out of the hole that Joe Biden left us in."
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) defended the decision to send Trump to conservative territories, arguing that his presence motivates voters beyond the immediate location. "He can get more of his voters out — that are going to be our voters — than anybody else," Capito said. She noted that White House officials are "acknowledging the headwinds" but asserted that both the White House and the party have a strategy, including financial resources.
What the Numbers Show
A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research indicates that only 17% of U.S. adults approve of Trump's handling of the cost of living. The survey also found that just 26% approve of his handling of the economy overall, a figure the AP describes as a new low for the president.
The midterm elections on Nov. 3 will determine control of Congress. In Florida, Republican Rep. Byron Donalds is running for governor against David Jolly, a Republican-turned-independent candidate who is now running as a Democrat. In Texas, Republican state Attorney General Ken Paxton is facing a competitive challenge from Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in the Senate race.
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles outlined a near-daily campaign schedule for the president to GOP senators in a private meeting this week. Attendees described the schedule as extensive, with Trump expected to campaign in locations such as Vandalia, Ohio, on Saturday and Grand Island, Nebraska, on Monday.
The Bottom Line
The GOP strategy of focusing on traditionally Republican states aims to increase voter turnout among the base rather than persuading undecided voters in swing districts. This approach is driven by data showing low approval ratings on economic issues and concerns about the impact of the war in Iran on gas prices and inflation.
Republicans are leveraging the president’s high name recognition to boost down-ballot candidates in states like Florida, Texas, and Oklahoma. The success of this strategy will be tested on Nov. 3, when voters decide control of Congress. Democratic opponents are focusing their messaging on the economy and the administration's foreign policy decisions, particularly the conflict in Iran, to motivate their own voters.
Watchers should monitor voter turnout rates in these targeted states and subsequent polling data to gauge whether the campaign blitz has successfully addressed the "lagging enthusiasm" identified by party leadership.