Trump Plans Campaign Support for Key Republican Races

Former President Donald Trump announced his intention to actively campaign for Republican candidates in 35 crucial races ahead of the November midterm elections. Speaking at a White House dinner event attended by GOP members of Congress, Trump outlined his plans to dedicate over 30 days to this effort, emphasizing the importance of these elections. “I’m going to go to every one of those 35 places, and we’re going to see if we can get everyone elected,” Trump stated.

Trump mentioned specific races where he intends to offer his support. One such race is the re-election campaign of Sen. Dan Sullivan in Alaska. “I’m going to go up to Alaska for Dan Sullivan,” Trump said, making a playful remark about Sullivan’s challenger, who shares the same name. Additionally, Trump plans to travel to Texas to campaign for state Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is competing against Democratic candidate James Talarico for a Senate seat.

The dinner event took place in the Rose Garden, with several Republicans in attendance facing closely contested races. These include Reps. Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin, Tom Barrett of Michigan, and Mike Collins of Georgia. Trump was clear that he prefers to focus on candidates in need of support, indicating he would not campaign for those with secure 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?” he remarked.

This dinner followed Trump’s earlier comments to reporters expressing his commitment to aiding the GOP despite the midterms not directly affecting him. “I’m not affected by the election,” he stated in the Oval Office. “No. 1, I’m not running. My party’s running, and I’m going to help my party.” Two weeks prior, Trump had encouraged his supporters to vote as though he were on the ballot, urging them to “pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot.”

Trump’s decision to campaign extensively is backed by his super PAC, MAGA Inc., which reports holding over $400 million according to the latest campaign finance data. Candidates in tight races anticipate that some of this funding will be used to support their campaigns.