President Donald Trump was scheduled to travel to Mississippi on October 26 as part of his closing campaign push before the United States midterm elections, the Associated Press reported that morning. The planned rally came as Republicans faced challenges in contests that could change control of Congress and state governments.
AP reported that Democratic Senate candidate Scott Colom, whom Trump wanted to help defeat, also intended to go to the rally site. That created the prospect of a direct campaign contrast between a presidential appearance intended to support Republicans and an opposing candidate seeking attention at the same location.
The article described plans and campaign activity ahead of voting, rather than certified election results. It did not establish that the rally had already taken place at the time of its early-morning publication. The political development was the president’s planned intervention in a Senate race during the final stage of the midterm campaign. The possible consequences for power in Washington remained contingent on voters’ choices and the eventual results of congressional and state contests.