Midterm Final Stretch: Trump Targets Red States, Obama Rallies Georgia Democrats

President Donald Trump is prioritizing states he won in 2024 as midterm elections approach next week. On Wednesday, he held a rally in Chillicothe, Ohio, a town south of the capital Columbus. Simultaneously, former President Barack Obama campaigned in suburban Atlanta, Georgia.

The scheduling reflects a strategic split between the parties. Republicans are focusing on defensive holds in red states. Democrats are working to energize voters in battlegrounds like Georgia and Michigan.

Trump told the crowd in Chillicothe that if voters go to the polls, the party will secure a large victory. He has held more than 20 rallies this month. His upcoming schedule includes stops in South Carolina, Florida, Kansas, and Iowa.

The president’s travel comes amid rising fuel prices and public criticism of the war in Iran. He has largely avoided blue states in this final phase of campaigning. His recent stops included Mississippi on Monday and multiple visits to Texas on Tuesday.

In Georgia, Obama joined Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former Atlanta mayor running for governor. Bottoms is seeking to become the first Black woman elected governor in the United States. Senate candidate Jon Ossoff, who is running for reelection, also appeared at the event.

Ossoff criticized Trump’s use of the presidency for personal financial gain. He described the situation as a spectacle of grift unprecedented in American history. The White House has stated that Trump has ceded control of his family business to his sons since returning to office.

Obama responded to criticism regarding his comments about the White House renovations. Last weekend, he compared the gilded decorations to a Cheesecake Factory opened by Saddam Hussein. On Wednesday, he said, I lived at Chuck E. Cheese and California Pizza Kitchen and the Cheesecake Factory, that was my jam for about a decade.

Trump addressed the Alaska Senate race dispute while boarding Air Force One. He directed the Department of Justice to file a preemptive lawsuit contesting the result if Democrat Mary Peltola wins. A second candidate shares the name of Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan. Trump called the situation voter fraud at the highest level and warned Peltola she could face prosecution.

In Michigan, the Senate race between Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers is drawing attention to accusations of antisemitism. El-Sayed told a crowd in Wyandotte that opponents are using his name to distract voters. Texas Senator Ted Cruz campaigned with Rogers in Birmingham, arguing that antisemitism is ripping the country apart.

Cruz claimed the Democratic Party is being taken over by self-proclaimed communists and Islamists. Several voters at the event described switching from Democrat to Republican because of El-Sayed’s 2025 remarks about a synagogue attack. El-Sayed had said hurt people hurt people, a comment for which he later apologized.

Haley Stevens, who lost the Democratic primary to El-Sayed, has endorsed her former rival. However, her fiancé Jason Turkish said on Wednesday that he plans to support Rogers. Turkish believes El-Sayed is an antisemite based on the prior comments.

Trump also engaged with a protester in Ohio who shouted about Jeffrey Epstein. Trump said he expelled Epstein from Mar-a-Lago decades ago. He then pivoted to praising the physique of Ohio Senator Jon Husted, who is running against former Senator Sherrod Brown. Trump also repeated his claim that he won the 2020 election against Joe Biden, stating he is a three-time winner of the presidency.