Trump Closes Out a Campaign Built on Fear, Anger and Division

By Peter Baker

Nov. 5, 2018

WASHINGTON — President Trump embarks Monday afternoon on a final three-state election swing that will close out an us-against-them midterm campaign built on dark themes of fear, anger, division, nationalism and racial animosity.

The president’s thundering warnings about “left-wing mobs” and a migrant “invasion” have inflamed the passions of a country, energizing conservatives he hopes to mobilize to hang onto control of Congress while exasperating opponents who accuse him of fear-mongering and demagogy.

Mr. Trump has generated overflow crowds of red-hatted supporters wherever he has gone in these final days, drawing energy from their adulation and pumping them up to head to the polls on Tuesday to salvage Republican majorities in the House and Senate. Underscoring his emphasis on his base, Mr. Trump invited Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh, two conservative media icons, to join him on Monday for his final rally on a day when he travels to Ohio, Indiana and Missouri.

Mr. Trump declared that the election would be a referendum on him, and his campaign strategy itself became one of the biggest issues. He has eagerly taken credit for the healthy economy, even exaggerating its merits, but rather than make that the centerpiece of his campaign in hopes of appealing to independents and moderates, he chose to wage the fall battle on the ground of immigration.

Describing himself as a “nationalist,” he vilified immigrants, both legal and illegal, playing to tribal rifts in American society in a way that went beyond what most presidents have done during competitive midterm elections in the modern era. His supporters cheered him on, embracing a leader they said was finally taking on the cosseted elites and guarding the country against outsiders. But the divisions he encouraged will bedevil the country beyond Election Day.

With Democrats favored to win the House, Mr. Trump hoped to reproduce the stunning upset that embarrassed prognosticators in 2016. But even if he fails, he expects to hang onto the slim Republican majority in the Senate and perhaps even build on it. If Democrats do take the House and Republicans hold the Senate, Mr. Trump will almost certainly claim victory out of the split decision, saying he defied the odds once again.

But a divided Congress would present a profound challenge to his presidency for the last two years of his term, making the prospect of major legislation even more distant and opening a period of partisan warfare led by subpoena-powered Democratic committee leaders intent on investigating everything from his taxes to Russia’s involvement in the 2016 election.

For his last campaign swing of this cycle, Mr. Trump was heading first to Cleveland, where an intense governor’s race will decide which party controls state government in a place Mr. Trump must win if he hopes to secure a second term in two years.

From there, he planned to fly to Fort Wayne, Ind., where Republicans have hopes of knocking off a Democratic senator, Joe Donnelly. And he was to end his day with a late-night rally in Cape Girardeau, Mo., on behalf of the Republican Josh Hawley’s efforts to defeat Senator Claire McCaskill.

But a divided Congress would present a profound challenge to his presidency for the last two years of his term, making the prospect of major legislation even more distant and opening a period of partisan warfare led by subpoena-powered Democratic committee leaders intent on investigating everything from his taxes to Russia’s involvement in the 2016 election.

For his last campaign swing of this cycle, Mr. Trump was heading first to Cleveland, where an intense governor’s race will decide which party controls state government in a place Mr. Trump must win if he hopes to secure a second term in two years.

From there, he planned to fly to Fort Wayne, Ind., where Republicans have hopes of knocking off a Democratic senator, Joe Donnelly. And he was to end his day with a late-night rally in Cape Girardeau, Mo., on behalf of the Republican Josh Hawley’s efforts to defeat Senator Claire McCaskill.

Even before leaving the White House, Mr. Trump took to Twitter to cheer on select Republican allies and trash-talk some favorite Democratic targets. He previewed his evening attack on Ms. McCaskill. “No matter what she says, Senator Claire McCaskill will always vote against us and the Great State of Missouri!” he wrote.

He also went after Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, whom he called “an automatic far left vote, controlled by her bosses,” and Andrew Gillum, the Democratic candidate for governor in Florida, who he said would make his state “a crime ridden, overtaxed mess.” He also posted endorsements of Republicans like Representative Claudia Tenney of New York and Dana Rohrabacher of California, whom he called “respected by all.”

He also returned to another favorite target, the news media, claiming the polls this year were intended to discourage Republicans from voting.

“So funny to see the CNN Fake Suppression Polls and false rhetoric,” he wrote. “Watch for real results Tuesday. We are lucky CNN’s ratings are so low. Don’t fall for the Suppression Game. Go out & VOTE. Remember, we now have perhaps the greatest Economy (JOBS) in the history of our Country!”