President Donald Trump announced plans on Wednesday to campaign actively for Republican candidates in 35 key races before the November midterm elections. Speaking at a White House dinner with GOP congressional members, Trump stated he would dedicate the final 30 days, and potentially more, to campaign efforts. ‘I’m going to go to every one of those 35 places, and we’re going to see if we can get everyone elected,’ he declared.
Among the races he intends to support is Sen. Dan Sullivan’s re-election campaign in Alaska. Trump joked about one of Sullivan’s competitors, also named Dan Sullivan, emphasizing his commitment to the incumbent senator’s campaign. Trump also plans to visit Texas to support state Attorney General Ken Paxton, who faces Democrat James Talarico in a Senate contest.
Throughout the event, held in the White House’s Rose Garden, Trump emphasized his focus on races where support is crucial. He explicitly mentioned not campaigning for those with overwhelming leads. ‘If you’re leading by 40 points and you’ve been there for 25 years, please don’t ask me to come to your area and make a speech, right?’ Trump remarked.
The dinner followed Trump’s earlier comments to reporters, in which he committed to aiding the Republican Party despite personal detachment from the outcomes. ‘I’m not affected by the election. No. 1, I’m not running. My party’s running, and I’m going to help my party,’ Trump said, clarifying his stance.
Two weeks prior, Trump had urged supporters to ‘pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot’ in the midterms. His super PAC, MAGA Inc., holds over $400 million, as shown by campaign finance reports, raising hopes among Republican candidates that these funds will support their campaigns in closely contested races.