President Donald Trump revealed he'll go on a campaign tour to boost Republicans in vulnerable seats but told GOP leaders he won't stump for them.
During a Wednesday Rose Garden Dinner speech, Trump said that he was going to spend thirty days on the road campaigning for Republicans who could use his support, but pointing to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), he said he was not going to show up for candidates like him.
"I'm going to take the final thirty days or maybe a little bit more than that" for the tour, Trump said. "Because it's all about 35 races, but some of you guys are leading by so much. Please don't make me go to your area."
Trump said, "If you're leading by 40 points and you've been there for 25 years — like the Speaker. He leads by 42 points, and he has it made. Please don't ask me to come to your area and make a speech." Trump made the comments despite saying that the point of the tour is to keep GOP leaders like Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), Johnson and House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) in their seats.
"I'm going to go to every one of those 35 places, and we're going to see if we can get everyone elected, you know?" Trump promised. "I think it's good work."
He also asked Johnson, "Give me some names, where we say you either tied or you're winning by a little bit or losing by a little bit" to decide for whom he'll campaign.
Trump then went on a rant about GOP candidates. He mentioned incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK), "who's running in the race against Dan Sullivan," referring to the candidate with the same name as the incumbent. "It should be illegal."
He also tore into Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who's running for Senate with Trump's endorsement.
"Ken Paxton, you might not like the way he dresses," Trump said. "It's so insulting to him, but I might as well say it. You might not love the way he looks. You might not love his television interviews, but he was the best attorney general in the country. But that speaks a lot louder than the suit he's wearing, which doesn't look so great."
A lone laugh could be heard in the audience as someone cracked up at Trump's Paxton comments.