Trump promises to campaign for Republicans and says they have a winning midterm message

Trump promises to campaign for.

Key points

• Education Alia Wong, Associated Press, Collin Binkley, Associated Press June 19, 2026.
• News Lindsay Whitehurst, Associated Press, Nicholas Riccardi, Associated Press August 25, 2026.
• DC Darlene Superville, Associated Press, Collin Binkley, Associated Press June 10, 2026.
• President Donald Trump, August 2025 (Photo from the White House on Facebook).
• Johnson, Baucom hope to unseat heavily favored incumbent Kelly in Mississippi's 1st Congressional District.

Trump promises to campaign for Republicans and notes they have a winning midterm message.

By: Collin Binkley, Associated Press, Jonathan J. Cooper, Associated Press – September 3, 2026.

During a dinner in the Rose Garden, President Trump informed vulnerable lawmakers they have a triumphant story to tell voters. He intends to campaign in 35 House and Senate races.

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump on Wednesday pressed Republican lawmakers facing tough reelection campaigns to run on his record in the White House despite his sagging popularity, and he pledged to campaign in all of the roughly three dozen contests that are probable to determine control of Congress.

Voters' dim views of the economy and the war in Iran have put Republicans in a tough spot as the midterm election season enters its final stretch. But during a dinner in the Rose Garden, one of the spaces he has controversially renovated since returning to office last year, the president informed his party's most vulnerable lawmakers that they had a triumphant story to tell voters.

"All you have to do is talk about it, and you're going to win and you're going to win big, " Trump remarked a week before the party gathers in Dallas for an unusual midterm convention.

In practice, the audience of Republican lawmakers listened quietly to Trump through his speech, occasionally offering applause as plenty of sipped on cocktails ahead of their dinner. Menus checkered in yellow gingham called it an "end of summer BBQ" featuring cheeseburgers.

As well as diminished border crossings, trump talked up economic investment in the United States and lower drug rates, using significantly inflated figures.

Control of Congress will come down to regarding 35 races, Trump stated. He pledged to spend the 30 days before the election campaigning hard in those battlegrounds, recalling his aggressive travel schedule ahead of his own White House victory two years ago.

"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 remarked. His focus, he continued, would be on House and Senate races.

He specifically listed Senate races in Alaska, where Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan faces Democratic former Rep. Mary Peltola, and Texas, where Republican state Attorney General Ken Paxton is running against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico.

Trump backed Paxton in this year's primary despite a scandal-plagued past, but he poked fun at his style of dress and presence on the campaign trail on Monday.

"You might not love his look. You might not love his television interviews, " he remarked. "But he was the best attorney general in the country, perhaps. He was one of the best in the entire country. And that speaks a lot louder than the suit he's wearing that doesn't look so great."

Republicans' midterm struggles, he suggested, were simply after a pattern that virtually all modern presidents have faced.

"Whether you're a good president or a great president, you lose the midterms, " Trump remarked. "We're going to turn that around because there's no reason for it." Regarding the Author(s). Collin Binkley, Associated Press. Jonathan J. Cooper, Associated Press. News Cass Rutledge August 26, 2026.

Trent Kelly, a Republican, has served in Congress since 2015. Democrat nominee Cliff Johnson and Libertarian Johnny Baucom believe voters in North Mississippi want a change this November. More From This Author.

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Supreme Court sides with Trump administration on mail voting restrictions ahead of midterms.

Notably, the U.S. Postal Service laid out its plan for implementing the order last week, but time is running short to impose major changes. Elections Frank Corder August 21, 2026.

Field set for special elections to fill seats in Mississippi House of Representatives.

Voters will decide who will fill House District 77 and House District 70 seats in the Mississippi House after the deaths of State Representatives Cost Wallace and Bo Brown this summer. News Frank Corder September 3, 2026. Mississippi middle of the pack in State Tax Competitiveness Index. News Magnolia Tribune September 3, 2026. Magnolia Mornings: September 3, 2026. News Frank Corder September 2, 2026. Mississippi's August revenue collections come in $51 million above estimate. Business Frank Corder September 2, 2026. Gulf Ship investing $44 million to expand Gulfport shipyard. Business Frank Corder August 28, 2026.

Ocean Aero creating 45 jobs with $4 million expansion in Gulfport. Business Frank Corder August 27, 2026. Raytheon announces completion of $50 million expansion in Forest. Culture Teresa M. Walker, Associated Press September 3, 2026.

Playoff sting still fresh, Ole Miss braces for Louisville in the week's lone ranked matchup. Culture Richelle Putnam September 3, 2026. Aie's Taste of Thai: Food, music, and a giving heart. Culture Alistair Begg September 3, 2026. Notably, a theology of grief. Opinion Mike Chaney September 3, 2026. Mississippians deserve more affordable health insurance options. Opinion Sid Salter September 2, 2026. For over 40 years, Mississippi workers have exceeded expectations at Raytheon. Opinion Ashby Foote September 1, 2026. Energy Wars: Attack of the drones.

In short, trump promises to campaign for Republicans and says they have a winning is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.