Trump Plans 32-Day Campaign Tour Before November Midterms

President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday that he plans to spend 32 days traveling and campaigning ahead of the November midterms, according to Al Jazeera. The trip will include stops in states with competitive races, including Texas and Ohio.

The midterms will decide which party controls the House and Senate for the final two years of Trump's term. Control of Congress affects whether Trump's legislative agenda moves forward or stalls, and whether House Democrats, if they win a majority, pursue a third impeachment effort — a possibility Trump himself has raised, Al Jazeera reported.

What did Trump say about his popularity?

Trump dismissed suggestions that Republican candidates are keeping distance from him ahead of the vote. "You love me, and I love them," he told reporters, adding that GOP candidates are the ones asking him to campaign on their behalf: "They all want me to go. I'm one person. They all want me to go campaign," he said, according to Al Jazeera.

Why are voters frustrated right now?

Al Jazeera reported that voters are citing two main concerns: the rising cost of living and the war Trump launched against Iran, which has disrupted global energy markets. Those pressures have coincided with a drop in Trump's approval numbers as the campaign season opens.

What does the polling show?

A Wall Street Journal poll released last week put Trump's approval rating at 37 percent, the lowest level for a president heading into midterms since the Journal began the poll in 1990 under President George H.W. Bush, Al Jazeera reported.

By the numbers

• 32 — days Trump says he will spend campaigning before the midterms
• 37% — Trump's approval rating in the Wall Street Journal poll
• 1990 — the year the Journal began tracking presidential approval ahead of midterms
• 2 — chambers of Congress up for grabs: the House and Senate

What is the Republican Party's strategy for the midterms?

Republicans held their first midterm political convention this month in Texas, where Trump delivered the keynote address, according to Al Jazeera. Trump allies have said he intends to "campaign like it's 2024 again," a reference to his 2024 presidential win. Supporters believe Trump could help turn out so-called low-propensity voters — people considered less likely to vote without extra motivation.

What happens if Republicans lose control of Congress?

Al Jazeera reported that a Democratic takeover of both chambers would be widely read as a referendum on Trump's second term and could open the door to renewed impeachment proceedings, a scenario Trump has acknowledged as a possibility. The outcome will also determine whether Trump's remaining legislative priorities face a friendlier or more hostile Congress for his final two years in office.

For now, Trump is betting that direct campaigning across battleground states will offset the approval slide flagged in the Journal poll. Voters in Texas, Ohio, and other stops on his itinerary will get the first test of that bet when early voting begins in the weeks ahead.