President Trump preparing for fall campaign blitz ahead of midterms
On the heels of Saturday night's raucous campaign rally in Pennsylvania, aides to President Trump say he's excited to be back on the campaign stump and that his schedule of rallies is expected to ramp up in the months ahead.
Come Labor Day, one White House official said the president could hit the trail to campaign for Republican candidates as many as four or even five days a week in the final push before Election Day.
The president has said as much in an interview with Reuters earlier this year, “I am going to spend probably four or five days a week helping people because we need more Republicans."
“Is there anything more fun than a Trump rally?” Trump asked the riled up crowd outside Pittsburgh.
Trump was in Pennsylvania to campaign for GOP candidate Rick Saccone ahead of a special election on March 13. But the president spent the majority of his freewheeling remarks, which stretched for about an hour-and-fifteen minutes, talking about himself and even revealed what his 2020 reelection campaign slogan will be.
"Our new slogan when we start running in, can you believe it, two years from now, is going to be 'Keep America Great' exclamation point," the president said, drawing an exclamation mark in the air for emphasis.
While an aide said President Trump privately views Saccone as a weak candidate, the aide said the president feels that he has no choice but to lend a hand to the Republican candidate facing off in the Pennsylvania special election that is widely viewed as a bellwether for more of what’s to come in November.
"The world is watching. I hate to put this pressure on you, Rick, they're all watching," Trump said Saturday. "I won this district by 22 points. That's a lot. That's why I'm here. Look at all those red hats, Rick."
A senior Republican aide said the party has poured more than $10 million into the Pennsylvania special election because they're worried about a hit to their fundraising if the Democrats win a seat that the president won by nearly 20 points. The aide said they fear another win for Democrats in Trump country will give momentum to the Blue wave in November's elections.
