President Donald Trump has been in a “foul mood” as he crisscrosses the country for midterm rallies this month, one insider told The Washington Post, and his aversion to sleeping anywhere but his own properties has turned the trips into a logistical headache for staff.
Trump has held nearly daily rallies since the start of October, with several more scheduled for the coming days as the midterms fast approach. His itinerary, however, is largely shaped by Trump’s own “personal preferences,” the Post reported Monday, with only two of his last 14 stops in states that have been presidential battlegrounds over the past decade.
“The president combines political strategy with his personal preferences, such as accepting requests to campaign for friends like [Bruce] Blakeman and Mike Mazzei, the GOP gubernatorial nominee in Oklahoma,” the Post’s report reads.
“In addition to political considerations, the president’s team faces logistical challenges in finding large and secure venues in rural places. He does not like to stay overnight except at his own properties, such as his hotel in Las Vegas.”
Trump’s mood has also shifted throughout his rally blitz. According to one Trump adviser, the president has, at times, been in good spirits, whereas “another person with knowledge of his behavior observed that Trump has been in a ‘foul mood.’”
Speaking with the Post, political pollster Mark Mitchell questioned whether Trump’s midterm rally blitz even made political sense as the president’s approval ratings continue to sink to career lows.
“It’s the last time he’s really going to be able to do this in full force,” Mitchell said. “A 30-day blitz of the country to do these rallies again when he’s the most unpopular president — it just doesn’t really make sense.”
