Trump rallies in deep-red Alabama to 'thank' loyal voters as GOP eyes a key House seat

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Fresh off his visit to Texas and Oklahoma, President Donald Trump rallied supporters in Mobile, Alabama, on Friday night. It was the latest stop on a swing through deep-red states to boost midterm election turnout among Republican voters and thank them for their support, amid low approval ratings for the president.

Trump said he he wanted to "pay respect" to his supporters and announced plans to return to the state next week for the Georgia-Alabama college football game. 

In his remarks, Trump touted the economy, defended the Iran war and again told voters to pretend that he is on the ballot.

"When I'm not on the ballot, we don't do well. ... When I'm on the ballot, we kill everybody," he said. "So just close your eyes and pretend I'm on the ballot."

Trump acknowledged higher oil prices amid the war with Iran, but downplayed it as a "small price" to pay to prevent Iran from having a nuclear weapon. He also said prices would likely drop after midterm elections, which is when he predicted the Iran war will "probably" end. 

"But remember about the oil: You're paying a price, but boy, is that a small price than what it would be if these lunatics were allowed to have a nuclear weapon and used it on Mobile, Alabama," Trump said.

Trump won Alabama three times: by 27.7 points in 2016, 25.5 points in 2020 and 30.5 points in 2024.

In his remarks Friday, the president also nodded to his history with Mobile, a city that holds political significance for him. In August 2015, at his first rally in the city, then-Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama publicly endorsed him-- support that became a key moment on Trump's path to the Republican nomination.

On Thursday, Trump explained why he is spending time in states he has carried easily.

"I'm going because you have to thank these states that are with you 1,000%," Trump said. "And I haven't been there in a while, and I want to just thank them."

According to an AP-NORC poll, Trump's job approval rating stands at a record-low over both of his terms as president at 31%, with 69% of Americans disapproving.