‘I could say the stupidest things and you’d clap’ — Trump tells supporters
By Enitan Abdultawab
United States President Donald Trump has joked that his supporters would applaud him even if he said “the stupidest things,” as concerns grow over Republican voter enthusiasm ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
Trump made the remark on Saturday during a campaign rally in Clarksville, Tennessee, where he backed Republican Senator Bill Hagerty and gubernatorial candidate Marsha Blackburn.
Addressing the crowd, Trump boasted about his popularity within the Republican Party and dismissed suggestions that his political standing could hurt candidates seeking election in November.
“I’m very popular. I really am,” he told supporters.
The president later highlighted the reception he receives at campaign rallies, saying his loyal supporters would continue to applaud him regardless of what he said.
“There’s such love in these rooms,” Trump said. “I could say the stupidest things, and you’d clap.”
He immediately qualified the remark, adding, “But we don’t say the stupidest things. We say things of common sense.”
Trump’s comments come amid polling suggesting that some voters who supported him in the 2024 presidential election are becoming less enthusiastic about the Republican Party’s prospects in the midterms.
A recent poll published on Thursday found that 26 per cent of voters who backed Trump in 2024 believed Republican candidates should distance themselves from the president to improve their chances of winning in November.
According to the survey, his approval rating among voters who backed him in 2024 fell to 67 per cent, down from 75 per cent in July, 83 per cent at the beginning of 2026 and 95 per cent early in his second term.
Despite the figures, Trump maintained that his popularity would help Republican candidates secure victories.
“You’ll win because I am popular,” he said. “We’re common sense. We want borders. We want low taxes.”
He also dismissed media commentary suggesting Republicans could lose because of his unpopularity, insisting that his influence remained a political advantage for the party.
Trump urged supporters to turn out for the midterm elections, arguing that Republican success depended partly on voters maintaining their enthusiasm.
Trump also questioned why he needed to campaign in Tennessee, a state he has repeatedly won in previous elections, but said he wanted to thank supporters for their continued backing.
“Sometimes it’s nice to go to a place where you don’t have to be, but you’re there to say thank you to the great people that elected you three separate times,” he said.
The November 3 midterm elections will determine control of the US Congress, with polling indicating that Democrats have an advantage in the contest for a narrow majority in the House of Representatives.
The results could determine the extent of congressional support for Trump’s remaining agenda during the second half of his presidency.
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