PARK CITY: US President Donald Trump on Monday used violent unrest in France as an argument against Democrats in his battle to defend a Kansas Senate seat long held by Republicans but in danger of falling to his political opponents.
Trump's rally on behalf of Republican incumbent Roger Marshall was his latest foray into conservative states where Republican candidates are on defense due to voter frustrations over the Iran war and rising prices.
"I love you Kansas, but I'm here for a guy named Roger Marshall," Trump said.
In a new addition to his stump speech, Trump pointed to widespread protests in France as a scenario that could erupt in the US unless Republicans win. He provided no evidence.
France in recent days has seen some of the worst unrest in years as huge protests over the cost of living and underfunded public services descended into riots and looting.
Trump himself has struggled to make goods and services more affordable in the US.
In his speech, Trump turned to anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric, the type that he used to fuel his three presidential campaigns.
"We're not going to let that happen to this country," he said. "When you see burning steeples and raging fires in France, just remember that is what the radical Dumocrats want to do to America."
Trump has been mocking Democrats by calling them Dumocrats. Rights advocates have repeatedly criticized Trump for his rhetoric over the years in which he has targeted and mocked immigrants and ethnic minority groups. Civil rights groups say such rhetoric normalizes discriminatory attitudes towards those communities.
Kansas competition
Kansas, a conservative Midwestern state Trump won by 16 points in 2024, has not elected a Democrat to the US Senate in 94 years. First-term Senator Marshall is in a close fight with Democratic candidate Adam Hamilton, pastor of a Methodist megachurch, who is running against Trump’s tariff agenda and what he calls the president's “erratic leadership.”
“He wants you to repent for being born White,” Trump said of Hamilton.
Marshall, in remarks to the rally, led his campaign argument on cultural issues like stopping "radical Islam." He called Hamilton "too woke" for Kansas because he supports gay pride parades, which the crowd loudly booed.
"We need someone who can sort heifers and steers," he said.
In response, Hamilton's campaign spokesperson called Marshall's campaign "sinking."
"Nothing said at the rally can distract from the fact Kansans are being crushed by rising gas and diesel prices, struggling to access affordable healthcare, and are tired of Washington corruption," the spokesperson, Tyson Brody, said.
In a Monday video, Hamilton welcomed Trump to the state and said his supporters have “a place” in his campaign. Hamilton said he will work with Trump when it makes sense and stand up for Kansans when Washington policies hurt farmers and rural hospitals.
The tightness of the race is emblematic of the challenges looming for Republicans in the Nov 3 midterm elections as they try to defy political headwinds and retain control of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Trump is deep into a 32-day campaign blitz, frequently going to friendly areas that he won handily in previous elections.
One Republican familiar with Trump's midterm strategy said the president’s attention on rural parts of the country is in response to internal polling showing soft support from men 55 years and younger in rural areas nationwide, a voting bloc crucial to Trump’s 2024 presidential win.
Economic concerns
The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, published on Monday, found that 31% of Americans approve of Trump's performance in office, a record low for the president.
Democrats need a net gain of four seats in both the US House of Representatives and US Senate to overturn Republicans' narrow 218-214 and 53-47 majorities.
In Park City, near Wichita, many rallygoers walked more than a mile across Interstate 135 to reach the rural arena, as a red-and-green truck stop sign flashed its latest prices above their heads: US$3.98 for gas and US$5.78 for diesel.
That is up about 45% compared to average gas prices in the state last year, according to motoring club AAA.
Economic concerns were palpable among Trump's most loyal supporters.
“Being on disability, I don’t have much, but it seems like the prices are still going up and they need to come down. It feels like you’re having to search or hunt for food," said Monique Mullen, 59, a Republican voter from Hutchinson, Kansas, who takes care of her father.
A small bloc of protesters gathered near the arena, including James Nightingale, a self-described independent from Halstead, Kansas.
“I’m a farmer from Kansas and the Trump administration has decimated the farm economy in my area. Not only have his tariffs decimated our markets for grain sales, now he is bringing in imported beef from outside the country. What happened to ‘America First’?” he said.
Kansans have proven a willingness to cross parties, as voters have elected a Democratic governor, Laura Kelly, for the last two terms. "I don't think it's ever easy to get elected here," said Gina Seman, a Trump voter from Towanda, Kansas, noting that Republican candidates in the past have taken their popularity for granted.