Donald Trump has begun a 32-day campaign blitz ahead of the November midterm elections, seeking to rally Republican voters as concerns grow over his approval ratings, the economy and the war against Iran.
The US president travelled from Washington to Texas and Oklahoma on Thursday for the first two stops on a tour intended to bolster Republican candidates and defend the party’s majorities in Congress.
Trump is not on the ballot, but he has urged voters to treat the election as a judgement on his presidency. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 Senate seats are being contested.
Republican losses in either chamber would create obstacles for Mr Trump’s legislative agenda during the final two years of his second term. The president has also warned supporters that a defeat could lead to a third impeachment, following two during his first presidency.
Trump campaign tour puts economy and Iran war centre stage
At a rally in Denton, Texas, Mr Trump defended his record and dismissed criticism of his declining popularity.
“I give us an A+ on the government, on economics, on everything,” he told supporters at the Peterbilt Motors Company, a truck manufacturer.
He blamed unfavourable media coverage for his ratings and said the tour was needed to promote his administration’s achievements.
“We’re doing an extremely poor job of promotion and an extremely great job of running the country,” he said.
However, polling released by the Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 71 per cent of Americans disapproved of the war against Iran. Only 26 per cent approved of Mr Trump’s handling of the economy, while about half said they were worried about being unable to afford food and petrol.
The conflict has driven up fuel prices after Iran halted commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a major route for the global fuel trade. Diesel, used by the trucks built at the Texas plant, rose to more than six dollars a gallon last week, while petrol prices also climbed sharply.
Mr Trump sought to reassure voters that the conflict would soon end and that energy costs would fall.
“Just as I promised, I’m ensuring that Iran will be very quickly ended. I will tell you the energy prices are going to be rapidly, rapidly coming down,” he said.
“We’ll win very easily right now,” he added. “I believe right after the election we’ll win, but maybe before the election.”
Republican candidates seek help from Trump
Despite his low approval ratings, Mr Trump has made himself central to the Republican midterm strategy. At a Republican convention in September, he told supporters: “I’m asking you to pretend that I’m on the ballot.”
He repeated that appeal in Durant, Oklahoma, later on Thursday. “Pretend I’m running, please,” he told the crowd. “If we don’t win, they’ll end up impeaching me.”
The president is due to visit Alabama, Ohio and Nebraska in the coming days, with many of his scheduled stops in areas regarded as reliably Republican. Some contests that would normally be considered safe for the party have nevertheless become more competitive.
In Texas, Republican attorney general Ken Paxton is facing Democrat James Talarico in a Senate race. Mr Trump praised Mr Paxton at both appearances, calling him “the greatest attorney general in the United States of America” and telling supporters: “We gotta get this guy elected.”
He also repeated an unsubstantiated claim that Mr Talarico is vegan, saying: “And vegans don’t do well in Texas.”
Leaked audio has reportedly captured Mr Paxton expressing concern that last month’s Republican convention in Texas had harmed the party’s candidates. “It dropped our numbers. Everybody’s numbers dropped,” he reportedly said.
Mr Trump used the Texas rally to promote his tariff programme, which he credited with creating thousands of manufacturing jobs. The tariffs have faced court challenges, with critics arguing that the import taxes exceed the president’s constitutional powers.
Trump attacks Democrats and defends data centres
Immigration and transgender rights also featured in the president’s speech, as he portrayed Democratic policies as radical.
“They want women in men’s sports. They want open borders. They want transgender mutilation for your children,” Mr Trump said. “What the hell are you thinking about, you liberals?”
He also defended the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence data centres, despite concerns over their demands for electricity and water.
Texas has more than 300 operational data centres, with hundreds more under development. Governor Greg Abbott has called for an audit of their water and electricity use, while Mr Paxton has launched an investigation into whether they are complying with water-reporting requirements.
Mr Trump dismissed criticism of the industry and compared its growth with the industrial revolution, saying the companies were “making a fortune for the communities”.
