President Donald Trump’s approval ratings have fallen to historic lows, and Republican candidates face troubling poll numbers. Yet aboard the campaign trail’s increasingly regular Air Force One flights, the atmosphere inside the GOP remains remarkably upbeat.
In the spacious lounge of the new Air Force One donated by Qatar, Trump aides, lawmakers and their spouses take selfies, mingle with celebrity guests and wait for the president to arrive.
“It’s definitely a party vibe,” one guest told Our News Outlet after joining a campaign trip aboard the presidential aircraft.
Trump has staged 26 rallies in 23 days, crisscrossing states he carried in 2024 in a last-minute effort to help struggling Republican candidates before Election Day.
The excitement rises when Trump boards alongside his inner circle: Natalie Harp, Dan Scavino, Margo Martin and Steven Cheung, as well as aides Walt Nauta and Chris Ambrosini.
Chief of Staff Susie Wiles occasionally joins the flights and is helping rebuild the president’s former campaign operation. Former campaign officials Johnny DeStefano, Danielle Alvarez, Alex Bruesewitz and Jason Miller have returned as special government employees.
But the national mood is far removed from the celebratory atmosphere surrounding Trump’s 2024 campaign. His closest advisers believe Republican lawmakers will have no one to blame but themselves if they lose.
“The president can only do so much,” one Trump political adviser told Our News Outlet. “If we fall short in the midterms, it won’t be because the president failed to try or failed to put in the effort.”
Rapper Nicki Minaj steps off Air Force One after traveling with President Donald Trump to Michigan
Trump is greeted by country singer Jason Aldean and his wife Brittany after stepping off Air Force One at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia on October 24, 2026
President Donald Trump walks from Marine One with boxer Mike Tyson and New York Yankees president Randy Levine
President Donald Trump points toward NASCAR legend Richard Petty while leaving Air Force One in North Carolina
In the final stretch before voters head to the polls, Trump is relying on star power, celebrity endorsements and sheer spectacle.
Over the past month, legendary boxers Floyd Mayweather Jr., Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield have been seen aboard the plane. Other guests have included NASCAR icon Richard Petty, Yankees president Randy Levine, former NFL coach Jon Gruden and former NFL running back Todd Gurley.
Nicki Minaj, Trump’s most prominent celebrity backer, also energized supporters at a campaign event in Michigan last weekend, where the president’s comments about her “a**” became a headline in their own right.
Former college football star Johnny Manziel and two-time Super Bowl champion Danny Amendola joined Trump during a campaign stop in Texas.
Country music performer Jason Aldean appeared at a Trump rally in Georgia.
The celebrity-heavy campaign is producing a flood of social media attention, but Republican insiders say it is doing little to address the political headwinds confronting the party.
Our News Outlet’s midterm power-polling average, which combines multiple surveys, gives Democrats more than 51 percent support compared with 43 percent for Republicans.
Former Kansas Republican governor Bill Graves told CNN that Trump’s rallies resembled “the freak show at the carnival” and criticized the president’s “infatuation with his own self.”
“It’s always very entertaining,” Graves said, “but whether it translates into higher turnout for Roger Marshall is difficult to believe.”
The rallies have also failed to improve Trump’s approval rating, which remains deeply underwater.
“Midterms are determined by the president’s approval numbers and economic sentiment, and both are absolutely atrocious,” a Republican campaign leadership aide told Our News Outlet.
A second Republican strategist said attempts to push Trump toward affordability and gasoline prices had produced little progress. “The war in Iran was definitely not a smart move. Republicans should have pushed back on him a little, but they’re all afraid.”
Trump abruptly called off planned weekend visits to Kansas and Iowa on Thursday, despite both being considered competitive states. He reinstated the trips less than 24 hours later following a media backlash.
As the clock runs down, lawmakers and aides aboard Air Force One are soaking up the experience while they can.
Trump greets each guest as he boards, shaking hands, posing for photographs and frequently offering a brief tour of the aircraft.
“It’s an exciting environment,” a senior White House official told Our News Outlet. “Everyone is super-jazzed. A lot of these people have never been on Air Force One.”
President Donald Trump speaks with NFL player Todd Gurley after leaving Air Force One in Georgia
Donald Trump takes a photograph inside The Beast presidential limousine with NASCAR driver Danica Patrick
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and NASCAR driver Danica Patrick attend a rally
After encouraging guests to enjoy the trip, Trump withdraws to his office for final calls and meetings.
The late-night McDonald’s runs of earlier campaigns are gone. White House chefs now prepare meals that generally reflect the destination’s cuisine, according to one traveler. Trump also keeps a supply of presidential M&M’s, Hershey’s Kisses and Starbursts on hand, which guests often take home as souvenirs.
During the outbound flight, Trump works on his remarks with speechwriter Ross Worthington and reviews the latest figures with White House political advisers Matt Brasseaux and Richard Walters.
Outside adviser James Blair, who left the White House in April to concentrate on the midterms, has returned to the operation and is working “hand in glove” with Brasseaux, an official said.
Blair’s return follows a confrontation with Trump, who threatened to fire him after he and fellow adviser Chris LaCivita were caught traveling to the Balkans to advise a foreign campaign. The president was reportedly appeased after the pair donated their fees to his presidential library.
Trump continues to dismiss public polling, but he is closely monitoring voter-registration numbers and early voting results.
“He’s looking at it holistically,” an official familiar with his thinking said. “He’s focused on winning the midterms. We’re all in this boat together, rowing in the same direction.”
When candidates accompany him, Trump holds private meetings with them to discuss their individual races.
The sudden burst of activity has surprised Republican lawmakers, who spent much of 2026 privately complaining that Trump showed little interest in campaigning. He has now held 26 rallies in 23 days, nearly all in states he won in 2024. Florida, Kansas and Iowa are next, ahead of Tuesday’s vote.
Former professional boxer Floyd Mayweather appears with Trump staffers during a trip aboard Air Force One
Rapper Nicki Minaj stands aboard Air Force One with Trump communications director Steven Cheung
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Air Force One
Join the discussion
Does Trump’s celebrity-driven campaign style help or hurt the GOP at a critical moment?
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has been notably absent from the trips. Majority Whip John Barrasso of Wyoming, however, has flown with Trump several times.
“We are doing everything we can to turn out voters in these key Senate races,” Barrasso told Our News Outlet. “It’s vital that voters understand the difference between commonsense Republicans and crazy Democrats.
“President Trump is crisscrossing the country to deliver that message to voters everywhere, and I’m pleased to be with him in so many states.”
Some celebrity guests are given rides aboard Marine One or even inside The Beast, the armored presidential limousine.
“Mike Tyson gets to ride on Marine One because Mike Tyson is an American legend,” one Trump adviser said.
The liveliest part of the trip begins on the return flight, when Trump holds court in the central lounge as football or Fox News plays on the screens.
Senator John Barrasso is the highest-ranking senator to travel with President Trump on multiple campaign trips
Football stars Danny Amendola, left, and Johnny Manziel arrive with President Donald Trump aboard Air Force One for a campaign trip
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles joins some campaign trips during the week, along with Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller
“It’s more social. There’s definitely more of a party atmosphere on the flight home,” one guest said.
“Nobody sleeps. Everyone is either relaxing, talking or working,” another guest said.
Anyone who nods off risks being photographed and ridiculed in group chats.
Trump himself does not sleep aboard the plane. “Calling him the Energizer Bunny is an understatement,” a senior White House aide said.
If Republicans underperform, Trump’s team is quick to emphasize that he still has two years remaining in office, regardless of which party controls Congress.
“At the end of the day, I believe our campaign operation and the president’s operation have done everything possible to help Republicans win,” one senior official said.
The aircraft usually reaches Joint Base Andrews in the early morning hours. Exhausted staff members head home, only to return to the White House a few hours later for another whirlwind campaign trip.
