Trump campaigns in Mobile as economic approval hits new low in AP-NORC poll
Trump’s Mobile rally is part of a push for Republican turnout before Nov. 3, as AP-NORC puts approval of his economic handling at 26%.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
President Donald Trump’s Alabama midterm rally brought his campaign push to Mobile on Friday, part of a run of appearances in Republican-led states ahead of the Nov. 3 elections. CBS News reported that Trump’s stop was his third visit to a Republican-led state in two days.
The president is campaigning to build Republican enthusiasm before the midterms, according to The Associated Press. He is scheduled to travel to Ohio on Saturday after the Mobile event.
Why is Trump campaigning in Alabama before the midterms?
Trump told reporters Thursday that he wanted to thank states that had supported him strongly. ABC News reported that Trump won Alabama by 27.7 percentage points in 2016, 25.5 points in 2020 and 30.5 points in 2024.
His rally was set for the University of South Alabama’s Mitchell Center, ABC reported. An official with the Republican National Committee said the Mobile-Pensacola media market also reaches the western Florida Panhandle and that the party expected the event to help turn out voters and draw coverage in both states. That is the party’s assessment, not a measured result.
Alabama voters have a U.S. Senate race, seven U.S. House races, the governor’s office and other statewide and local contests on the Nov. 3 ballot, according to the Alabama secretary of state’s 2026 voter guide.
What do the approval numbers measure?
The Mobile stop comes as polling shows trouble for Trump on the economy. An AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found that 26% of U.S. adults approved of his handling of the economy, a new low for that measure, AP reported.
That figure is different from Trump’s overall job approval. ABC News, citing the same AP-NORC polling, reported 31% overall approval and 69% disapproval, calling the overall number a record low across his two terms as president.
Trump has blamed Democrats for higher gas and food prices, CBS News reported. He has also said his administration is doing a good job running the country but needs better public relations. Those are the president’s views.
The rally continues a campaign stretch aimed at giving Republican candidates a lift in the final weeks before Election Day, while the White House confronts voter dissatisfaction with the economy.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.