Trump said he would only appear in competitive areas. So why is he headed to ruby-red states?

President Donald Trump is planning campaign stops in states he carried comfortably in the last election, a schedule that sits awkwardly with what he said he would do. MS NOW's Steve Benen notes that at a White House gathering with congressional Republicans in early September, Trump described a final-stretch push centered on "35 races" and told safe incumbents not to request his presence. He said he would concentrate on candidates who were tied, narrowly ahead or narrowly behind.

With 35 days until Election Day, Politico reports that Trump will devote the coming month to helping Republican candidates, numerous of whom are behind in places he won handily two years earlier. Stops this week include Alabama, Oklahoma and Ohio, which he carried by 31, 34 and 11 points, respectively, and he is reportedly headed to Alaska, a 14-point win for him. A football game in Tennessee, a state he took by 30 points, also drew him recently.

Benen argues that headlining rallies in such solidly Republican territory just as early voting begins bodes poorly for the party. He offers two possible readings: Republicans may be in enough danger that Trump feels compelled to shore up safe states to avert a disastrous outcome, or GOP candidates in tight contests may have asked him to stay away because a local appearance would hurt more than help. Either way, Benen writes, this is not the picture party officials had hoped to see so late in the race.

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