If there’s one thing about his job that President Trump really loves, it’s hearing the sound of applause.
So, it was easy to get Trump to commit to a week long road trip around the country, where he’ll attend rally’s and bask in the glow of supporters who remain loyal despite a turbulent first two years in office.
Trump travels first tonight to Wheeling, West Virginia, where Republicans are trying to unseat Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, one of a handful of senators seen as key swing votes that will determine Brett Kavanaugh’s appointment to the Supreme Court.
Trump will then hold evening rallies in Johnson City, Tennessee, on Monday; Southaven, Mississippi, on Tuesday; Rochester, Minnesota, on Thursday; and Topeka, Kansas, next Saturday.
A third of the Senate and all House seats are in play on November 6. Power could shift if Democrats gain two Senate seats and 23 House seats.
Today’s visit will be Trump’s second in recent weeks to West Virginia – a state he won by more than 40 percentage points in the 2016 presidential election – to campaign for Republican Senate candidate Patrick Morrisey, who is trailing Manchin in polls.
Trump’s next two rallies will be in states he also won handily in 2016: Tennessee, which he took by more than 20 points, and Mississippi, where he won by 18 points.
Tennessee’s former governor, Phil Bredesen, and U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn are in a tight race for a Senate seat held by retiring Republican Bob Corker.
In Mississippi, two Republicans and two Democrats are in a special election primary battle for a Senate seat vacated by Republican Thad Cochran. Trump has endorsed Cindy Hyde-Smith, who would need to win 50 percent of the votes to avoid a run-off on Nov. 27.
Although Trump narrowly lost Minnesota in 2016, he won in Rochester, where he will be appearing on Thursday to support Republicans, including Karin Housley, who is running for the Senate, hoping to unseat Democrat Tina Smith. Smith was appointed to the seat last year after former Democratic Senator Al Franken resigned after being accused of sexual harassment.
In Kansas, a state Trump won by 20 percentage points, he will rally support for Kris Kobach’s gubernatorial campaign. Kobach, who serves as the Kansas secretary of state, advised Trump’s campaign on immigration restrictions and has pushed for more restrictive voting laws.