Trump campaigns in Mississippi, highlighting Republicans' challenges

President Donald Trump spent Monday in Corinth, Mississippi, rallying support for Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, a sign of how far the GOP's midterm worries have spread. Democrat Scott Colom is giving her a tougher race than expected in one of the country's most dependably Republican states, and he turned up at the venue to hear from Trump's backers. Trump, sounding hoarse, said he could not leave anything to chance, then branded Colom a phony. He also said of the Iran war that it would end soon. Voter frustration over inflation and that war has widened the map of competitive House and Senate contests for Democrats. Trump's schedule this week adds Texas, South Carolina, Iowa and a Saturday visit to Salina, Kansas, according to NPR.

Democrats made their own appearances while, by The Associated Press's tally, over 30 million ballots are already in. Former Vice President Kamala Harris went to Wisconsin to support Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who would become the state's first Black governor if he defeats Rep. Tom Tiffany. In Michigan, Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed disowned a PAC advertisement tying grocery costs to support for Israel, which Rep. Haley Stevens condemned. Vice President JD Vance, meanwhile, appeared in Topeka for Sen.

Summarized by PolitiKool from NPR’s reporting. Read the full story at NPR →