Trump campaigns in red states ahead of midterm elections

With about a month left before the midterm elections, President Donald Trump has begun traveling to campaign for Republican candidates in closely contested races, with stops in states that lean red. The push comes at a difficult moment for him politically. Polling indicates that disapproval of his performance is growing, both overall and on two specific fronts: the war with Iran and his management of the economy, according to NBC News.

The campaign swing is aimed at shoring up support for GOP contenders as voters prepare to weigh in on the balance of power in Congress. NBC News correspondent Julie Tsirkin reported on the president's appearances, which were featured on the network's Nightly News broadcast on October 3, 2026.

The coverage offers few additional particulars, such as the specific states visited, the names of the candidates Trump is backing, or the exact polling numbers behind the rise in disapproval. What it does establish is the overall picture: a president who is putting his own political weight behind his party's candidates even as public views of his handling of the war and the economy turn more negative, with the election now only weeks away.

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