Donald Trump gambles with late-stage trips to Democratic New Mexico and Virginia

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Donald Trump is walking to New Mexico and Virginia successful nan campaign’s last days, taking a risky detour from nan 7 battleground states to walk clip successful places wherever Republican statesmanlike candidates person not won successful decades.

The erstwhile president will run successful Albuquerque, New Mexico, connected Thursday and Salem, Virginia, connected Saturday.

The Trump squad is projecting optimism based successful portion connected early voting numbers and thinks he tin beryllium competitory against Democrat Kamala Harris successful some states — New Mexico successful particular, if he sweeps plaything states Nevada and Arizona. That dream comes moreover though neither New Mexico nor Virginia has been carried by a GOP nominee for nan White House since George W. Bush successful 2004.

Over nan past fewer months successful particular, nan battleground states — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — person seen a constant watercourse of campaigner visits, and residents person been bombarded pinch governmental ads connected billboards, televisions and smartphones. In nan past 2 weeks alone, statesmanlike and vice statesmanlike candidates person made 21 appearances successful Pennsylvania, 17 successful Michigan and 13 successful North Carolina.

In nan 43 different states, a campaigner sojourn is an breathtaking novelty.

Trump retains fervent pockets of support moreover successful states that ballot overwhelmingly against him, and he tin easy capable his rallies pinch enthusiastic supporters.

He has made different caller detours from nan states astir astatine play, holding rallies astatine Madison Square Garden successful New York and successful Coachella, California — states that are moreover much solidly Democratic than New Mexico and Virginia. Those events satisfied Trump’s long-shot claims that he tin triumph some states, but were besides aimed astatine earning maximum media attraction arsenic his run seeks to scope voters who do not travel governmental news closely.

Trump besides showed up successful staunchly Republican Montana, and some Trump and Harris campaigned connected nan aforesaid time past week successful Texas, which Democrats past won successful 1976.

Those trips served different purposes, specified arsenic highlighting issues important successful a authorities aliases supporting House aliases Senate candidates.

“Kamala Harris’ dangerously wide policies person grounded Americans crossed nan state — from nan Bronx, to Virginia, and New Mexico — which is why President Trump is bringing his America First connection and imagination for hardworking families correct to their beforehand door,” said Anna Kelly, a spokesperson for nan Republican National Committee.

Trump’s strategy carries risk.

After losing to Trump successful 2016, Democrat Hillary Clinton was criticized for going to Arizona precocious successful nan run alternatively of spending clip successful Wisconsin, Michigan aliases Pennsylvania, states that ended up deciding that election. Arizona is now a battleground, but it wasn’t considered peculiarly competitory 8 years ago, erstwhile it voted for Trump by a 4-percentage constituent margin.

“I don’t deliberation there’s immoderate strategy,” said Bob Shrum, a longtime Democratic governmental advisor who worked connected galore statesmanlike campaigns and now leads Center for nan Political Future astatine University of Southern California. “I deliberation he insisted connected doing it. It makes nary sense.”

New Mexico extremity brings Trump to a separator state

The planned sojourn to Albuquerque brings Trump and his migration stance to a separator authorities pinch nan nation’s highest attraction of Latino voters, highlighting nan run for Hispanic supporters.

About 44% of nan voting-age organization successful New Mexico identifies arsenic Hispanic. Many person centuries-old ties to Mexican and Spanish settlements, while nan authorities has a smaller stock of foreign-born residents than nan nationalist average.

At nan aforesaid time, national and section authorities successful New Mexico are dealing pinch a surge successful migrant deaths on nan U.S. separator pinch Mexico.

Trump’s sojourn has implications for a legislature plaything territory stretching from Albuquerque to nan separator pinch Mexico. It’s now held by a Democrat arsenic Republicans look to clasp onto their constrictive House majority. Immigration has been a awesome issue successful nan race.

Also connected nan ballot, Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich is seeking a 3rd word against Republican Nella Domenici. She is nan girl of nan precocious Republican Sen. Pete Domenici, who served six terms, from 1973 to 2009 and was nan past New Mexico Republican elected to nan Senate.

Independent statesmanlike campaigner Robert F. Kennedy Jr. remains connected nan ballot successful New Mexico, and roadside run signs for Kennedy popped up crossed nan superior metropolis of Santa Fe successful precocious October, astir 2 months aft Kennedy’s withdrawal from nan title and endorsement of Trump.

New Mexico voters person doubly rebuffed Trump astatine nan polls, and Democrats clasp each statewide elected position, each 3 legislature seats and majorities successful nan authorities House and Senate.

Virginia was erstwhile a battleground

While Virginia was considered a battleground arsenic precocious arsenic 2012, it has trended toward Democrats successful nan past decade, particularly successful nan populous bluish Virginia suburbs.

Trump mislaid nan authorities to Clinton successful 2016 and Democrat Joe Biden successful 2020. This year, Democrats and their friends successful nan statesmanlike title person spent astir doubly arsenic overmuch arsenic Republicans connected ads successful Virginia, information show, though it pales successful comparison to nan spending successful battleground states.

“We person a existent chance,” Trump said while phoning into a Richmond-area rally connected Saturday.

Trump, while successful Virginia, is apt to speak astir Wednesday’s Supreme Court ruling leaving successful spot a purge of elector registrations that nan authorities says is aimed astatine stopping group who are not U.S. citizens from voting.

The precocious court, complete nan dissents of nan 3 wide justices, granted an emergency entreaty from Virginia’s Republican management led by Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

Speaking to Fox News’ Bret Baier connected Wednesday night, Youngkin said from what he’s seeing connected nan ground, “Virginia is acold much competitory than immoderate of nan pundits would person believed.”

He noted that 2 years aft Biden won by 10 percent points successful 2020, he won arsenic governor.

”Virginians are fresh for spot backmost successful nan White House,” he said.

Susan Swecker, chairwoman of nan Democratic Party of Virginia, said Trump’s scheduled sojourn to Salem connected Saturday would only widen Harris’ lead successful nan state.

“Kamala Harris will triumph Virginia convincingly, arsenic he knows, and immoderate sojourn from this deranged lunatic will only widen nan margin,” Swecker said.

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Associated Press writers Jill Colvin successful New York, Morgan Lee successful Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Olivia Diaz successful Richmond, Virginia, contributed to this report.