Trump says he 'can't take chances' as he campaigns in red states
Republicans are increasingly on defense this midterm cycle in races that have typically been seen as safe holds for the party.
Emily R. CondonWith one week until the midterm elections, President Donald Trump said he wasn't taking any chances as he held a rally in ruby-red Mississippi.
"You know, I'm here because Cindy's doing great, but I just got to make sure. I can't take a chance," he said of Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Mississippi, at an Oct. 26 rally.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report moved the Mississippi Senate race from a solid Republican win to a less sure "likely" win for the GOP on Oct. 20, as Republicans work to defend their 53-47 majority in Congress' upper chamber.
It's the latest red state to which Trump has traveled as Democrats push into traditionally GOP-held territory, including South Carolina, Alaska, Iowa, Kansas and Texas. South Carolina hasn't had a Democratic senator in two decades, while Kansas hasn't elected one since 1932.
Trump also said at the Mississippi rally that he thinks Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the state's GOP nominee for Senate, is "doing pretty well." The president on Oct. 27 is heading to Texas to campaign with Paxton, who Trump already appeared with in early October.
Mississippi has not had a Democratic U.S. senator since 1989, and Hyde-Smith is running for her second full term. In Texas, a Democrat has not held a U.S. Senate seat since 1993, but the open race between Republican Paxton and Democratic candidate James Talarico is increasingly close, with some polls reporting Talarico in the lead.
Polling in recent weeks indicates that Democrats are poised to take control of the House of Representatives, and political analysts say that the Senate is also in play.
Trump predicted that Hyde-Smith is going to win with no issues, but he still encouraged Republicans in Mississippi to head to the polls.
"The only problem is sometimes, and this happens, and sometimes when you think somebody's doing so well, nobody votes. They all stay home," he said.
"That's why I'm here. Just get out and vote because she's she's going to win big," Trump added.