DURANT, Okla. — As the November midterm elections approach, former President Donald Trump has focused his campaign efforts on Republican strongholds rather than competitive battleground districts. On Thursday, Trump held a rally in Durant, Oklahoma, aiming to energize his base in a red state, a strategy reflecting broader concerns within the GOP about voter turnout in traditionally reliable areas.
Trump urged attendees to vote for Republican candidates, including Senate hopefuls Ken Paxton of Texas and Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, emphasizing the importance of supporting the “America first” agenda. “You have to get out and vote,” he said. “You can’t assume they are going to win.” The president’s decision to campaign in deeply Republican regions such as Texas, Oklahoma, and Alabama departs from his earlier pledge to focus on the nation’s 35 most competitive districts in the run-up to the midterms.
A Republican source close to the White House explained that the choice of Durant was partly strategic, given its proximity to the Texas border, allowing influence over candidates in both states. This approach mirrors Trump’s visit to Mobile, Alabama, near Florida’s Panhandle, as part of a broader effort to rally core supporters, many of whom may be disinclined to vote in a non-presidential election year.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) underscored this challenge, noting the critical need for Trump’s base to turn out at the polls. “In a non-presidential year, in a midterm election, that challenge is always voter turnout,” Thune said. “In this case you have a lot of voters out there who may not be inclined to go out there and vote.”
Among those attending the Durant rally was Sylvia Sigler, a 66-year-old school cafeteria worker who normally votes in local elections but has not participated in a federal election since 2016. Sigler expressed ambivalence about the midterms and cited the economy as a potential motivator, though she admitted uncertainty about the candidates and the impact of Trump’s message. “It could,” she said when asked if the rally might influence her vote, “but I am not making any promises.”
Similarly, David Coleman, 54, from Oklahoma, admitted he was unfamiliar with the candidates but trusted Trump’s endorsements. Planning to support whichever candidate Trump introduced, Coleman said he would even use ChatGPT to learn their names before voting.
While Trump initially committed to focusing on competitive districts, some analysts and party officials see his attendance at rallies in reliably Republican states as a sign of caution. In some battleground areas, his support appears to be a political liability, potentially complicating efforts to secure key House and Senate seats. As a result, the former president’s campaign stops suggest a calculated move to solidify turnout among his loyal base, hoping that their votes will be enough to maintain or expand Republican control of Congress.