President Donald Trump rallied supporters in Mobile, Alabama, on Friday night, returning to the city where he held his first mega-rally more than a decade ago — the 30,000-strong crowd at a college football stadium that convinced skeptics he was more than a celebrity novelty. This time, The New York Times noted, he relived his glory days "with some empty seats."
The rally at the University of South Alabama's Mitchell Center was part of a monthlong midterm campaign tour. "I'm here really because, you know, sometimes, even though you don't have to come here, you gotta pay respect to the people that have loved you right from the beginning," Trump told the crowd, a day after visiting Oklahoma. He began the tour Thursday at a Peterbilt truck factory in Denton, Texas, followed by a rally in Durant, Oklahoma, on Thursday night.
Trump had vowed to campaign in 35 of the most competitive battleground races in the final sprint to November. Instead, he opened October in Texas, Oklahoma and Alabama — three of the most Republican states in the nation. The Associated Press called the itinerary a reminder of his party's uphill climb: Republicans are already pouring money into red states once considered safe as they try to shore up candidates facing an electorate that has soured on Trump and his policies.
The numbers are stark. An AP-NORC poll this week found only about 3 in 10 U.S. adults approve of how Trump is handling his job, with most blaming him for rising prices. In Alabama, Republicans have voiced concern about apathy among their own voters — average turnout in August's special congressional primaries was about 5%.
"The political floor is falling out from underneath Trump and Congressional Republicans, forcing them to scramble to spend and campaign in deep red territory in the final weeks," said Viet Shelton, spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Trump urged support for three Alabama Republicans: Sen. Tommy Tuberville, running for governor; Rep. Barry Moore, running for the Senate; and state Rep. Rhett Marques, who is seeking to flip the newly redrawn 2nd Congressional District from Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures. The district was reshaped to Republican advantage after a Supreme Court ruling this year severely weakened the Voting Rights Act.
The RNC's rationale: Durant and Mobile sit in media markets that span state lines, so the rallies can boost turnout across Texas and Florida's panhandle. But some Republicans have been distancing themselves from the president in recent weeks — scrubbing or downplaying references to him on their websites and voicing opposition to his unpopular war with Iran.
Trump also announced he would return to Alabama next Saturday for the college football game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Alabama Crimson Tide. "I go there because they want to see me there," he said.
November's midterms will determine control of Congress, and Alabama's 2nd District is one of the House races to watch. With Trump anchoring his closing push in deep-red territory rather than swing states, the battle for Congress may heat up earlier — and louder — than expected.