‘We Got to Win the Midterms,’ Trump Says at the State of the Union Address
During a trip to Texas, President Trump made it clear that he would emphasize his portrayal of Democrats as out of touch in advance of the November elections. President Trump recalled a political trap he set for Democrats on Friday, in his first public event since his State of the Union address. In a speech in Corpus Christi, Texas, billed as an energy policy speech, Mr. During his address on Tuesday evening, Trump described how Democrats refused to stand when he asked them to swear that they would serve “American citizens” and “not illegal aliens.” Then he talked about it again. And again.
In the hourlong remarks, Mr. 11 times, Trump used the phrase “stand up.” Additionally, he repeatedly referred to Democrats as “crazy,” as he did in his State of the Union address. “Did you see these people on my right, the way they just sat there?” Mr. Trump stated “You need sane people on the other side to have unity.” In the days after a State of the Union address, presidents typically travel the nation promoting their agenda. Mr. in Texas Trump made clear that he would be driving home his depiction of Democrats as out-of-step, unpatriotic people ahead of the midterm elections in November.
Additionally, he erroneously accused Democrats of election fraud, an approach that appears designed to undermine Americans’ faith in the outcome of the election at a time when Republicans are struggling to maintain control of Congress. Mr. If Democrats regain control of the House, Trump has stated that he will face impeachment for the third time. Mr. said, “They’re crazy, and we have to win the midterms.” Trump stated “You got to get out and we got to vote, and we’ll keep it all going better even than it is now.”
Just days before a crucial primary election in Texas, Democrats were surging in early voting. The Senate majority leader, John Thune, warned this week that Democrats could flip a seat long held by Senator John Cornyn, Republican of Texas.
In the past, the party that won the presidency has also lost the midterm elections that follow. Additionally, polls show that Mr. Trump retains widespread disapproval. He has also lost support for how he handles the economy and immigration, two issues he campaigned on. “When I knock on doors in my district, the cost of living is the No. 1 concern I hear: How do I afford groceries, how do I pay my rising mortgage, my insurance keeps going up,” Mihaela Plesa, a Democratic Texas state representative, told reporters before Mr. Trump’s address. “As a former small-business owner, I can tell you that 3.3 million small businesses here in Texas are getting squeezed, too.”
Mr. In the three-way primary for Mr., Trump has not yet offered his support. Cornyn’s seat, despite the fact that the incumbent, as well as his challengers, Attorney General Ken Paxton and Representative Wesley Hunt of Houston, were all present for his speech.
However, Mr. Trump’s decision to take his message on the road is seen as key to bolstering turnout for Republican candidates.
“The more he can talk about what he’s doing with his economic development stuff and his energy stuff and things like that is very, very helpful,” said Dave Carney, a political strategist for Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas. He still has a lot of power. He is a formidable weapon.” Mr. Trump did touch on some of those policies, including his promise to not tax tips or overtime and his “drill, baby, drill” approach to supporting oil production.
(The administration recently halted the government’s legal authority to control the pollution that is dangerously heating the planet.) He at one point turned to an oil tanker to his left and claimed that it had carried more than 360,000 barrels of Venezuelan crude.
“We’re going to keep some for ourselves,” Mr. Trump said. “We’re going to give some to them, and they’re going to make more money than they’ve ever made before.”
But Mr. While he maintains that he has solved the problem of “affordability,” Trump did not appear to be overly concerned about demonstrating empathy for people who are experiencing economic hardship. “Has anyone seen a decline in their 401(k)?” inquired Mr. Trump, who has claimed responsibility for improvements in retirement savings plans. “Because if you do, you’re a loser.”
Still, his message resonated with his fans in the audience.
Shelia Click, an Air Force veteran in attendance at Mr. Trump’s speech, said she did not like that Democrats did not stand during the State of the Union address when Mr. Trump asked if they agreed that “the first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.”
“The Democrats have lost their minds,” Ms. Click spoke. In the Texas Senate primary, she has not yet cast a ballot. Ms. Click awaited to find out who Mr. Trump backed it.
