Trump works a hoarse voice to save Hyde-Smith in Mississippi

President Donald Trump arrived in Corinth, Mississippi, on Monday with a raspy voice and a urgent message for the crowd. He is there to help Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith secure her second term. Hyde-Smith faces a tough challenge from Democrat Scott Colom, a local prosecutor.

Trump told voters he could not take a chance on the race. He stated, "I'm here because Cindy's doing great, but I just got to make sure." The visit marks the start of a heavy week of campaigning for the president. He will travel to states he won by large margins in 2024, including Texas, South Carolina, and Iowa.

Colom was present at the rally site. He spoke to supporters before the president took the stage. He said the people deserve a senator who listens to their concerns. "They actually deserve a senator that will listen to them, that actually cares about what they think, actually cares about what they're going through," Colom said.

The race in Mississippi has become a focal point for Democrats. Colom aims to make history as the state's first Black senator since Reconstruction. He is using voter frustration over inflation and the Iran war to challenge a favorite. Trump won the state three times with an average margin of nearly 20 percentage points. Hyde-Smith remains the frontrunner, but the gap has narrowed.

Senate Democrats' super PAC recently put $1.2 million into the race. Mississippi has not elected a new Democratic senator since 1947. The last time a Democrat won a Senate seat there was in 1982, when John Stensen secured his final reelection. Stensen was a former segregationist.

In other parts of the country, campaign activities continued. Vice President JD Vance campaigned in Kansas for Senator Roger Marshall. Marshall is fighting a close race against Adam Hamilton, a pastor. Hundreds of people attended a rally in a steel-fabrication warehouse in north Topeka. Kansas has not sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1932.

Vance also traveled to Belgrade, Montana, on Monday. He supported Republican Aaron Flint in a congressional race. Flint is running against Democrat Sam Forstag for the state's 1st District seat. Vance also campaigned for Republican Senate candidate Kurt Alme in the same state.

Democratic efforts expanded as well. Former Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned in Wisconsin. She supported Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley in his race for governor. Crowley is running against Republican Tom Tiffany. If he wins, Crowley would be the first Black governor of Wisconsin. Harris called the race tight because the stakes are high.

In Michigan, Senator Abdul El-Sayed addressed a controversy over a campaign ad. A group called Rebellion PAC released a spot blaming high grocery prices on U.S. support for Israel. El-Sayed's campaign said the ad was not affiliated with them. He has criticized Israel's operations in Gaza while denouncing antisemitism.

Representative Mike Lawler in New York took a different approach. He stood at a McDonald's drive-thru to connect with voters. This mimics a stunt Trump performed two years ago. Lawler is in a tight race with Democrat Cait Conley in the northern suburbs of New York City. He has tried to show his independence from the president while using similar tactics.