welcome to From the political deska daily newsletter bringing you the latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail from the NBC News politics team.
In today’s edition, Bridget Bowman dives into the major developments in the Senate battle. Plus, Kristen Welker explores the headwinds facing Republicans as President Donald Trump heads into the midterm elections.
—Adam Warner
The ever-changing Senate map
Bridget Bowman
A major move by a major Republican political action committee today underscores the increasingly dire situation in the Senate facing the party as it tries to retain its majority.
Senate Leadership Fund, aligned with Senate Republican leadership, cancels future ad spending in Senate race battleground North Carolina and launched a new advert in deep red kansas. (Semafor first reported the news.)
Republicans have been pessimistic about North Carolina’s prospects for weeks, and former Democratic congressman Governor Roy Cooper Leading in recent polls, spending more than former Republican National Committee chair Michael Wortley.
SLF is heavily involved in the race: In September, it spent more than $17 million, according to ad tracking firm AdImpact.
President Donald Trump and vice president JD Vance The two also traveled to the state last month to support Wortley, who Trump personally encouraged to run for the retiring Republican Senate. Tom Tillis‘ Seats.
“I’m worried about him. I hope he wins,” Trump told reporters at Whitley today. “He’s a great guy.”
Republican confidence is also waning in another swing state, GeorgiaDemocratic Senator. Jon Ossoff Likewise, he has a clear advantage over Republican House members in polling and fundraising. Mike Collins. But a person familiar with the SLF’s spending noted that the group has not paused spending in that campaign.
Meanwhile, there’s a race among Republican senators in staunchly Republican Kansas. Roger Marshall and Democratic pastors. Adam Hamilton Although the state hasn’t sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1932, the race has become tighter in the home stretch. So far, SLF has reserved more than $8 million in air time in Kansas, according to AdImpact.
The shift of resources to Kansas reflects the shift in the battle for Senate control to a red state. Trump carried eight of the 10 states where the SLF spent money on ads from October to Election Day. Vance will travel to one of those states, Alaska, next week. (Continue reading below to learn more about Trump’s midterm travels).
Read more →
Trump begins 17-state tour, expresses midterm anxiety
Analysis by Christine Welker
President Donald Trump Not only does he want voters to pretend he voted in this midterm election, he will also seek their support himself.
According to NBC News yesterday, a White House official said that Trump will travel to 17 states to attend 36 events in 30 days. It’s an ambitious timeline that reinforces what the president told a crowd in Oklahoma last night: “We are concerned.”
“We’re worried about Michigan. We’re worried about Texas. We’re worried about several states,” Trump said. “But it’s all about 35 different races; not states, but races. I’ll go to almost all of them. I’m going to Alaska.”
There are a number of factors creating obstacles for Republicans heading into Election Day, including record-low approval ratings for the president’s handling of the economy, which is the No. 1 issue among voters overall.
Today, the final jobs report ahead of the midterm elections showed a slowing job market and wages lagging behind inflation. The jobs data, well below expectations, comes just as Trump is scheduled to hold rallies in many rural, blue-collar communities.
At a rally in Oklahoma, he addressed the financial pressures felt by voters by renewing his promise that “if Republicans win, each of you will have $5,000 in your pocket and our country will achieve unprecedented economic success.”
Trump faces headwinds not only on the economy but also on immigration. As a candidate, he promised to oversee “the largest deportation program in American history.” But his tough deportation policies are popular with Americans, including many Hispanic voters who helped him win in 2024.
So while Trump tours red states to help galvanize his supporters, one of the key factors that will determine the outcome of November’s election will be the president’s standing among Latino and independent voters. NBC News’ polling average shows that independents’ approval of Trump’s job performance is only 26%.
In this Sunday’s Meet the Press program, Steve Kornacki The results of a new NBC News/Telemundo poll of Latino voters will be released. I’ll also be talking to the former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel and Mori. John F. KennedyLouisiana Republicans on midterm fights ahead.
🗞️ Today’s other top stories
- 🗳️Exclusive: during an interview Henry J. GomezVice President JD Vance Talked about Sen. Ted CruzThe president’s aspirations and how the difficult medium-term climate affects his own future. Read more→
- 📈Number operations: Democrats suffered huge losses in voter registration after the last presidential election but regained ground in several key states this year, according to an analysis by NBC News’ Decision Desk. Read more→
- 👋 See you on the other side: The statistically ineffective Congress has officially left town until after the midterm elections, dumping a long list of tasks into a lame duck session. Read more→
- 🛢️Oil gauge: G7 members agreed to release tens of millions of barrels of diesel and crude oil, the latest move by industrial economies around the world to curb soaring gas prices. Read more→
- 🤖 New areas: Trump expected to name director of national intelligence Jay Clayton As the White House’s artificial intelligence czar. Read more→
- 🎭 Moving to the city center: This year’s Kennedy Center Honors ceremony will not be held at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Performing Arts Center for the first time in the ceremony’s nearly 50-year history. Instead, it will be held at Capital One Stadium. Read more→
For now, that’s all the Political Desk has to offer. Today’s newsletter is edited by Adam Wollner.
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