Trump Campaigns in Mississippi as Midterm Tensions Rise

President Donald Trump addressed voters in Corinth, Mississippi, on Monday, using a hoarse voice to urge support for Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith. The rally marked the start of a week of heavy campaigning in states the party expected to win comfortably in 2024. Hyde-Smith faces Democrat Scott Colom, a local prosecutor who has gained traction amid voter concerns about inflation and the Iran conflict.

Colom was present at the rally site before the president arrived. He told supporters that they deserve a senator who listens to their concerns. "They actually deserve a senator that will listen to them, that actually cares about what they think, actually cares about what they're going through," Colom said. Trump later described Colom from the stage as a "Marxist radical" and a "fake" figure who pretends to be a moderate.

In Kansas, Vice President JD Vance campaigned for Republican Senator Roger Marshall in a warehouse in north Topeka. Marshall is competing against Adam Hamilton in a state where Democrats have not won a Senate race since 1932. Marshall argued that the Democratic Party is acting as if it is a presidential election year. "Democrats are coming out like it's a presidential year," he said. He urged Republicans to match that energy at the polls.

A 50-year-old electrician named Jace Sullivan told the crowd that gas prices are high but that the effort to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons is a necessary step. "Gas prices are high and it does suck, but it's a means to an end," Sullivan said. Trump also commented on the Iran war at his rally, noting that he expected gas prices to rise even higher than they did. "It worked out fine and it'll be over soon," Trump said.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned in Wisconsin alongside Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. Harris said the race is tight because the stakes are high. If elected, Crowley would become the first Black governor to lead the state. In Michigan, Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed distanced his campaign from a political ad blaming grocery prices on U.S. support for Israel. A spokesperson for El-Sayed stated the ad was not affiliated with his campaign.

Representative Haley Stevens, who lost to El-Sayed in the primary, criticized the ad on social media. She wrote that the way to win Michigan is not by blaming high costs on Israel. El-Sayed, who would be the country's first Muslim senator if elected, has criticized Israel's military operations in Gaza while denouncing antisemitism. More than 30 million voters have already cast ballots, according to data from The Associated Press.

Trump is scheduled to visit Texas, South Carolina, and Iowa later this week. He will also hold a rally in Salina, Kansas, on Saturday. This will be his second visit to the state in less than two weeks. Senator Tim Scott, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told The Associated Press that Republican candidates are closing strongly in races across the country.