Trump heads to Nebraska in attempt to shore up GOP’s midterm vote – US politics live

President Donald Trump is traveling to Nebraska on Monday to rally support for Republican candidates ahead of the upcoming midterm elections, visiting a typically reliable conservative stronghold amid growing challenges for his party.

Trump is scheduled to appear in Grand Island alongside Republican Senator Pete Ricketts, who is facing a competitive challenge from an independent contender backed by national Democrats. The stop forms part of an intensive 32-day tour leading up to the November 3 election, a schedule that has repeatedly seen the president visiting traditionally safe Republican areas, including recent trips to Alabama and Oklahoma, with a subsequent stop planned for San Antonio, Texas.

The visit comes as local agricultural producers express strong opposition to the administration's trade stance regarding cattle. In an effort to curb consumer beef prices, the White House has proposed expanding imports of foreign beef. However, ranchers across Nebraska have pushed back, warning that the move will damage domestic producers. Ricketts voiced his opposition to the proposal in comments to the Associated Press, arguing that bringing in foreign beef harms local producers and urging the administration to instead focus on expanding herd sizes to address consumer costs.

The midterm push is occurring against a backdrop of political headwinds for the administration, including lower approval ratings, economic affordability pressures tied to conflict with Iran, and broader electoral uncertainty. Despite these hurdles, Republican campaigns retain substantial fundraising advantages and high levels of voter enthusiasm among core supporters. Elsewhere on the campaign trail, Vice President JD Vance is set to travel to Alaska to support Republican Senator Dan Sullivan in his own closely contested reelection bid.

In Washington, the administration addressed personnel matters following scrutiny over a newly appointed assistant White House press secretary, Beni Rae Harmony. The White House defended Harmony after public attention focused on a 2021 holiday picture in which she held a rifle while wearing a shirt bearing an expletive directed at Joe Biden. Harmony joined the press office shortly after working as a reporter for Real America's Voice.

Separately, Trump announced on Sunday that Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton will take on an additional assignment as the White House artificial intelligence czar. Clayton, a former leader of the Securities and Exchange Commission and past federal prosecutor in Manhattan, currently oversees the nation's intelligence apparatus.

Overseas, American military officials have withdrawn B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford in the United Kingdom. The airfield, situated roughly 90 miles west of London, had been utilized for operations involving Iran. The repositioning of the aircraft follows the arrests of five individuals suspected of planning terrorist activities nearby, an alleged operation that British Prime Minister Andy Burnham indicated had suspected links to Iran.