Politics
Donald Trump kicked off his midterm campaign with rallies in Texas and Oklahoma.
Published on October 10, 2026, 6:56am ET
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chairman donald trump Launches promised 32-day midterm campaign campaign in Texas and Oklahoma while Vice President JD Vance Headed to Florida as Republicans tried to revive enthusiasm in familiar territory.
“My heart is not in it like it used to be,” Trump said Thursday at a trucking facility in Denton, Texas.
Later, in Durant, Oklahoma, he acknowledged concerns about several races. “We’re concerned about Michigan, we’re concerned about Texas,” he said. “It’s all about 35 different competitions.”
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Calendar reveals strategy
Donald Trump acknowledged concerns about several competitive races during his Oklahoma appearance.
“Campaigns don’t lie with their calendars,” the Democratic strategist said. John McCarthyFormer Senior Advisor to the President on Political Engagement Joe Biden and principal of Causeway Strategy Group.
He explained, “While the president is spending the final moments mobilizing voters in deep red states, Republicans aren’t expanding the map, they’re trying to drum up enthusiasm over territory they already have.”
“That’s the obligation for Republicans in competitive seats,” he said. “They need Trump to excite their voters, but they can’t afford to make him the face of their race without angering the voters who will decide control of Congress.”
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The President campaigned for Ken Paxton as Republicans sought to protect Texas’ key support.
Trump’s Texas appearance draws support from attorney general ken paxtonWho is in the Senate race against a Democratic state representative. James Tallarico Republicans have been more competitive than expected. In Oklahoma, Trump campaigned for gubernatorial candidate Mike Mazzei.
Vance’s Florida stop endorses gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds After campaigning for a House candidate in Texas Eric Flores.
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rally becomes show
J.D. Vance supported Republican candidates during the campaign in Florida and Texas.
He said, “The purpose of a rally in a friendly area is not about persuasion. It is about activism, turning passive supporters back into voters and messengers.” amore philipfounder of Apples and Oranges Public Relations.
“Entertainment is the value strategy. A show earns free local coverage, fills social feeds with crowd footage, and submits a visual story to national outlets, so one stop can produce a week’s worth of content,” she explained.
He further said, “For the party in power which is heading towards mid-terms, the media acts as a message as well as a polling tool.”
The crowd is not an alliance
The Republican rally blitz focused on activating the party’s base rather than convincing swing voters.
“The rally becomes the show, and the show becomes the turnout operation,” said christopher leeChairman of Foresight Strategies.
Still, “a mob is not the same as a coalition,” Lee cautioned.
He added, “A rally may excite people in the field, but it doesn’t reach the voter who stays home because the price of groceries and gas are too high.” “And no matter how hard the Trump administration and the GOP try, they can’t navigate their way around that reality.”