For much of the 2026 midterm-election cycle, Donald Trump has maintained that keeping the MAGA base energized would be the key for Republicans seeking to keep control of Congress. And he’s been especially insistent that making the midterms about himself (a rare goal he shares with Democrats) is the only way to get MAGA voters to flock to the polls in November. “Pretend I’m on the ballot” has been his mantra of late, reinforcing the self-celebration he staged by way of a midterm Republican convention earlier this month.

This dubious strategy might have made some sense if the president was hyperfocused on producing an (improbable) mega-MAGA turnout in the highly competitive states where a backlash to his second-term failures has made a Democratic Congress all but certain. Instead, his travel schedule has him flying around to campaign for the GOP in deep-red territory, as Politico recently reported:

Bastions of conservatism — including Alabama, Alaska, Iowa, Ohio and Texas — need Trump’s star power, and a visit by the president could persuade some of his most die-hard supporters to turn out to the polls. But each trip to play defense in red strongholds robs the GOP of a chance to put Democrats on the back foot in states that are traditionally competitive …“The problem is that the fires are everywhere right now,” said one GOP donor, who like others in this story was granted anonymity to speak candidly about the party’s prospects.

Bastions of conservatism — including Alabama, Alaska, Iowa, Ohio and Texas — need Trump’s star power, and a visit by the president could persuade some of his most die-hard supporters to turn out to the polls. But each trip to play defense in red strongholds........

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