Trump hits immigration, other familiar themes stumping for Republican Patrick Morrisey in West Virginia
President Trump hit many familiar themes Friday afternoon as he stumped for Republican Senate hopeful Patrick Morrisey at a rally in Huntington, West Virginia.
The president touched on immigration and the migrant caravan approaching the southern border, the economy, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and more, as Republicans look to hold or make gains in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday. Mr. Trump has spent the last week focused on controversial immigration tactics, like ending birthright citizenship and making it harder to apply for asylum. Republicans have wanted him to stay on message about the economy, something the president himself recognized.
"Sometimes it's not as exciting to talk about the economy because we have a lot of other things to talk about," he said.
Mr. Trump also jokingly threatened to impeach Morrisey if he gets into the Senate and votes against him, and said it isn't easy for First Lady Melania Trump to be married to him.
"If you think it's easy being a first lady, and married to me, it's not that easy," he said.
West Virginia is Trump country — the state voted for him over Hillary Clinton by a larger margin than in any other state in 2016. But West Virginia's Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin is a relatively popular senator and a moderate Democrat, and the latest polls show Morrisey trailing him. This isn't the first time Mr. Trump has campaigned for Morrisey. He also stumped for the Republican in August and September.
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Mr. Trump is holding 11 rallies across eight states in the final week of the election.
Outwardly, the president is optimistic about whether Republicans will keep control of the House, but he has also couched that optimism.
"It seems that the campaign is doing very well," Mr. Trump told reporters on the White House South Lawn Wednesday. "Looks like we're doing very very well in the Senate. A lot of seats that were not really being thought of in terms of victories a year ago now look like they could very well be victories. The House is a lot of people, I mean there are a lot of people, and I think we're going to do well in the house also. But I know we're doing well in the Senate but we're doing OK in the House, we're going to have to see. There are just so many people."
Many Republicans would like the president to keep his focus on the booming economy, and things like tax cuts, but with four days until the midterms, it is immigration that's on the president's mind and focus of his messaging.
On Thursday, he delivered remarks in the Roosevelt Room claiming his administration is finalizing plans to deny asylum other than at designated points of entry along the border, and saying he will sign an executive order next week. The president has continued to rail against the caravan of thousands of migrants approaching the southern border, and said he may deploy up to 15,000 troops to deter the migrants. He also said he will end birthright citizenship through executive order or Congress, claiming the 14th Amendment doesn't cover birthright citizenship.
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