By The Epoch Times | Created at 2026-10-02 10:13:43 | Updated at 2026-10-02 10:52:39
39 minutes ago
DURANT, Okla.—President Donald Trump visited this southeastern Oklahoma City on Thursday, spurring Republican voters to turn out and vote in the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
His speech listed his accomplishments over the past 17 months and reminded the standing-room-only crowd in the Choctaw Nation Event Center of what he says the Biden administration left him.
Hundreds spent the drizzly, dreary day in the rain, clad in red ball caps, American flag shirts, and cowboy hats, waiting to hear from the president. As Oklahoma Republican candidates for state and federal office declared their allegiance to Trump, the crowd cheered at the prospect of the further implementation of his agenda.
And he made clear what he expected them to do come Nov. 3.
“Thirty-three days from now the people of Oklahoma are going to defeat the radical left again,” Trump told the cheering crowd.
He told the crowd that the Biden administration took America into its “dark ages.” He said that from immigration to economic policy, the Biden administration failed Americans.
Trump told the crowd that Biden’s immigration policies resulted in 25 million illegal immigrants entering the country. He said his secure-the-border policy has stopped illegal immigration, but not immigration in general.
“We have people coming into our country, but they’re doing it legally,” he said.
He said his administration is reporting the lowest violent crime rate in decades, the largest tax cuts in history, and incentives designed to encourage American consumers to buy U.S.-made products. He said this has helped drive the poverty rate to its lowest level in the United States.
Trump touted his tariffs as key to reviving the American economy. In addition to raising billions in tariff revenue, the tariffs have motivated American manufacturers to return from their offshore locations. For example, he pointed to a $4 billion aluminum smelter project planned for Inola, just outside Tulsa.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the Choctaw Event Center in Durant, Oklahoma, on Oct. 1, 2026. Kent Nishimura/AFP via Getty Images
Trump pointed out that America has depended on imported aluminum, much of it from Canada. He said the Inola facility will change that situation while creating hundreds of jobs.
“Canada’s been ripping us off, but they’re not ripping us off anymore,” he said.
According to Trump, his economic policies have boosted employment, increased family incomes, and reduced poverty in the United States.
“We have more people working now than at any other time,” he said.
He also repeated his promise to pay each adult American $5,000 if Republicans hold onto Congress.
Trump warned that the Democratic Party would undo all his gains if it wins in November.
“We have not forgotten the disasters they gave us, and we’re not going back,” he said.
32-day Campaign
The president’s visit is part of his 32-day campaign to energize Republican voters who might be tempted to stay home on Election Day.
In addition to supporting Republican candidates, the rallies in Durant and Mobile, Alabama, are strategically positioned in cities that border other states Trump carried in 2024.
Recent polling data indicates the GOP may need the president’s help.
The website RealClearPolling.com, established by Real Clear Politics to aggregate and present data from a variety of political and public opinion polls, shows most polls expect Democrats to take control of one or both congressional chambers.
However, the pollsters say there’s a good chance that Oklahoma will remain reliably red.
The state has not elected a Democratic governor since 2006 and is not expected to change that now. Trump won all 77 counties each time he has run.
Businessman and former Republican state Sen. Mike Mazzei faces Democratic state Rep. Cyndi Munson on Nov. 3, backed by Trump’s endorsement.
Republican nominee for governor of Oklahoma Mike Mazzei waves as U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledges him during a campaign rally in Durant, Okla., on Oct. 1, 2026. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
The state’s congressional delegation is made up of Republicans, and they are the favorites to continue representing the state after the midterms.
But Durant’s Republican bona fides were not the only reason it was chosen for the rally.
Durant is located approximately 90 miles north of Dallas. Trump carried both states in 2024. However, the Lone Star State is now considered a battleground. Democratic newcomer James Talarico is polling an average of almost three points ahead of Texas Attorney General Republican Ken Paxton.
Paxton defeated incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican primaries. Cornyn has held the U.S. Senate seat since 2002.
The rally in Durant drew voters from Texas and southeastern Oklahoma. Likewise, Mobile is butted up against the Florida Panhandle. From there, Trump’s battle cry could reach voters from Pensacola to Tallahassee and beyond.
However, as loud as the rallies may get, many voters are not as enamored with the president as they once were, according to recent polls.
A majority of voters expressed disapproval of the way Trump is handling the Iran issue in a recent Economist-YouGov poll. The poll reported that 63 percent of Americans disapprove of the way he is handling the issue, while 31 percent approve.
Trump said at the rally that Iranian leaders are asking to make a deal, but he isn’t amenable to that right now. He said he wants to be certain that Iran never has the ability to make a nuclear bomb.
“Let’s just finish the job,” he said. “Other presidents should have done this a long time ago.”
The same poll reports that 75 percent of respondents believe the economy is in poor shape and 60 percent believe it’s getting worse.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the Choctaw Event Center in Durant, Okla., on Oct. 1, 2026. Kent Nishimura/AFP via Getty Images
Meanwhile, midterm elections have also often seen low voter turnout.
A White House spokesperson told The Epoch Times that Trump will barnstorm battleground states, as well as regions where voters may think they can sit out the election because they live in a red state.
“The President’s ability to engage with and activate low-propensity voters is unmatched. That’s why he'll be barnstorming the country to activate the voters we need to win in November,” the spokesperson stated in an email.
“President Trump will absolutely be in battleground states like Florida, Texas, Ohio, and Michigan.”
