Oct 24 - President Donald Trump is in the midst of a nationwide campaign blitz ahead of the November midterm elections, holding near-daily rallies to boost turnout for Republicans who are fighting to keep control of Congress.
asserted
who → hold → Congress
In his 90-minute stump speeches, Trump defends his economic policies, boasts about crowd size, mocks protesters and has even admired a fellow Republican’s buttocks.
asserted
Trump → defend → buttocks
Here are five takeaways from Reuters coverage of the president’s appearances, staged mostly in Republican-friendly areas across the country:
asserted
takeaways → stag → country
TRUMP'S ECONOMIC PITCH COLLIDES WITH VOTER REALITY
asserted
PITCH → collide → REALITY
At the start of the month, Trump said he had done a “bad job” explaining his economic record.
asserted
he → say → record
He has tried to remedy that at his rallies, pointing to a record-low poverty rate, low unemployment, record highs in the stock market and cheaper prices for some food items.
asserted
He → try → items
But his sales pitch is colliding with voters' concerns about how much they are spending on gas, groceries and other everyday expenses.
asserted
they → collide → gas
Consumer prices accelerated in September as the cost of gasoline surged.
asserted
cost → accelerate → gasoline
The nationwide average price of gas is $4.27 per gallon ($1.13 per litre), nearly 40% higher than a year ago, according to AAA.
uncertain
price → accord → AAA
Trump has repeatedly promised that gas prices will fall once the Iran war ends.
asserted
war → promise → ?
The disconnect was evident outside Trump's rally in rural Kansas, where Chester Daniel, a 90-year-old military veteran and Trump supporter, said the economy has “a long way to go” to help working people.
asserted
economy → say → people
We will never go back to what they were when this all started, but they need to come way down," Daniel said.
asserted
Daniel → go → ?
"I don’t know how these young people make a living for their family.
asserted
people → know → family
RALLY MAP SHOWS REPUBLICANS PLAYING DEFENSE
Trump's travel map signals just how difficult it will be for Republicans to retain control of Congress, with the president forced to play defense deep in conservative territory.
Trump has traveled twice to Texas for Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton, campaigned for Republican Senate incumbent Roger Marshall in Kansas and made two stops in Ohio for Senator Jon Husted.
asserted
Trump → show → Husted
Trump also rallied for Republicans in competitive races in Alaska, Iowa, Montana and South Carolina.
asserted
Trump → rally → Alaska
He is set to visit Mississippi on Monday.
asserted
He → set → Monday
Those are places Republicans are accustomed to winning easily, not battlegrounds where Trump would spend time during the crucial final weeks before an election.
asserted
Trump → accustom → election
Paxton narrowly trails Democrat James Talarico in polls, while Marshall faces a serious challenge from Democrat Adam Hamilton in a state that has not elected a Democratic senator in nearly a century.
asserted
that → trail → century
Husted trails former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown in polls in Ohio, and Republican Senate hopeful Ashley Hinson is in a close race against Democrat Josh Turek in Iowa.
asserted
Hinson → trail → Iowa
He is soon poised to hit some of those locations.
asserted
He → poise → locations
He is scheduled travel to Michigan on Sunday and has said he also plans to go to Maine.
asserted
he → schedule → Maine
TRUMP'S BOASTS ABOUT BIG CROWDS MEET UNEVEN REALITY
Trump has made crowd sizes a recurring theme of his midterm rallies, portraying packed arenas and thousands of people he says are stranded outside as evidence of his persisting popularity.
asserted
he → meet → popularity
Some rallies have drawn capacity crowds but have shown little sign of the overflow Trump described.
asserted
Trump → draw → overflow
At others, large sections of seats remained empty even in modest-sized venues.
asserted
sections → remain → venues
"I'm doing these every night, and no matter where I go, it's the same thing.
asserted
it → do → these
It's massive crowds," Trump said at a rally in North Carolina on Tuesday.
asserted
Trump → say → Tuesday
"We have big screens outside.
asserted
We → have → screens
There's something going on that's very special."
asserted
that → be → ?
The venue was filled to capacity, but there were no signs of crowds outside waiting to get in or watching on screens.
asserted
venue → fill → screens
At an October 7 rally in San Antonio, Texas, Trump said lines stretched two miles outside the arena even as sizable sections inside remained empty.
asserted
sections → say → arena
Crowd sizes are not always an accurate measure of political support, but Trump has pointed to them as a sign of strength even as his approval rating has fallen to 31%, the lowest of either of his presidential terms, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Monday.
uncertain
rating → point → Monday
For Republican candidates, the question is whether the enthusiasm he generates among his supporters can translate into votes for them.
asserted
he → generate → them
FRANCE BECOMES A 'BETE NOIRE' FOR MIDTERMS
Trump has often used French President Emmanuel Macron as a foil in his campaign stump speeches, claiming he strong-armed Macron into raising prescription drug prices in France by threatening tariffs on a popular French export, champagne, and other goods.
asserted
he → become → export
But in the last week or so Trump has seized on another narrative about France, casting its violent unrest of recent weeks as a warning of what he says could happen in the US if Democrats win in the midterms.
uncertain
Democrats → seize → midterms
Trump has blamed the unrest on migrants and Muslims, following a familiar playbook that has featured in his politics for more than a decade.
asserted
that → blame → decade
“What the hell happened to France?” Trump told a crowd in a livestock competition arena in Clemson, South Carolina, on Wednesday.
asserted
Trump → happen → Wednesday
Notably, the French protests have taken a larger role in Trump’s recent speeches than two other major foreign policy headaches he has been unable to resolve: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and his war against Iran.
asserted
he → take → Iran
“They’ll end one way or another,” Trump said of the two conflicts at his Clemson rally.
asserted
Trump → end → rally
He did not elaborate on how they might end, but complained that he was not awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to resolve conflicts around the world.
uncertain
he → elaborate → world
TRUMP PUTS THE BODY IN BODY POLITIC
Trump has long had a fixation on the human physique that stretches beyond the body politic.
asserted
that → put → politic
…and 11 more, not listed.
The Aporia
