Trump Midterm Campaigning, Rep. Omar Home Searched, Europe Pushes Back on Russia Deal

President Trump has picked up the pace of his campaign travel ahead of the midterm elections.

The president held a rally in Youngstown, Ohio last night and travels to Alaska today before doing still more events later in the week.

NPR White House correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben was in Youngstown last night.

Danielle, so tell us, uh, how the president is trying to fire up his base.

Well, there's this one line he keeps saying in his speeches.

Just pretend that I'm on the ballot because in a way I am on the ballot 'cause they will try and destroy everything we've done.

Now, it does feel like he's on the ballot when he says this in the sense that these events resemble very much his 2024 presidential campaign rallies.

He gets up there and talks about his accomplishments, he calls out his super fans, the front row Joes.

He insults Democrats he dislikes.

But in addition last night, I'll add, he was interrupted twice by protesters.

It appears that one really got kind of roughed up before law enforcement removed them.

Trump, for his part, made fun of the protester's weight.

So yeah, it was an eventful rally, but also very much a Trump rally like many others.

Now to be clear, the president is not on the ballot.

Right.

But do the candidates who are on the ballot get any attention at these events?

They do, some.

Uh, Ohio GOP gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy spoke for a few minutes, as did GOP Senator Jon Husted, who's in a tight race against former Democratic senator Sherrod Brown.

But still it's striking.

Trump is out campaigning for others, but these rallies are so much of Trump being Trump, the insults, the crassness, using a swear word or two.

It all just emphasizes that the GOP is still his party, even while his approval continues to sink.

So you gotta wonder for a candidate like Ramaswamy or Husted, what's the return here on appearing with Trump?

Yeah, and that's the thing because a lot of these rallies are, are being held in states which, uh, Trump won by a lot, [laughs] so what's the logic behind even doing these events?

You know, Trump has said recently that he thinks these events really do help get out the vote.

In addition, earlier this month he was asked about going to red states and he said he was going, quote, "Just to make sure." Now, in recent weeks, like you said, he's spoken in Ohio and Texas, which both have tight Senate and governor's races.