Trump set to rally GOP voters, hold midterm election event in Oklahoma

OKLAHOMA CITY — In what would be his first official visit to Oklahoma in six years, President Donald Trump is set to attend a rally Thursday in Durant, the Republican National Committee announced. 

The “midterm rally” featuring Trump is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at the Choctaw Event Center. The rally will be hosted by the Trump 47 Committee, a fundraising arm that links the 47th president’s campaign, the Republican National Committee and state GOP chapters. 

The president has endorsed several Oklahoma politicians seeking both state and congressional seats, including Republican Mike Mazzei who won the statewide GOP primary last month by just over 2,000 votes in his bid to be the state’s next governor. 

Mazzei confirmed Friday afternoon that he would be joining the president in Durant, despite having previously committed to a debate with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Cyndi Munson on the same evening hosted by PBS television affiliate OETA. This is the only statewide debate scheduled between the Republican and Democratic nominees. 

The debate is expected to overlap with Trump’s visit. Durant is 2.5 hours south of Oklahoma City, where the television station is located.

Mazzei’s campaign has not said whether the debate would be rescheduled or canceled. OETA did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment. 

Trump’s approval rating in Oklahoma has dropped since he won all 77 counties in the 2024 election, according to polling by the Economist and YouGov. Americans cited inflation and the economy as their biggest concerns.

Durant, located in Bryan County, is deeply Republican. During the 2024 general election, Trump carried more than 78% of the county’s vote. Mazzei also won the county during the most recent primary runoff election with 62% of the vote. 

Registration is free for tickets to the event, but limited to four tickets per person. Doors will open at 2 p.m. 

This is the third time a sitting U.S. president has visited the Choctaw Nation, said Chief Gary Batton.

“We hope his visit provides an opportunity to learn more about what we do as a sovereign nation for our members and for all people in southeast Oklahoma,” he said in a statement. 

Democratic President Barack Obama visited Durant in 2015 to meet with tribal leaders and announce a pilot program to increase high-speed internet access. Theodore Roosevelt also visited in 1905 to give a speech urging the Oklahomans to prepare for statehood.

U.S. Sen. James Lankford, R-OK, said on social media that Oklahoma is “honored” to host Trump in Durant. 

U.S. Rep. Kevin Hern, R-OK, who is running as a Republican for U.S. Senate, also wrote that he was glad to be hosting Trump in Oklahoma and said he would be attending. 

“He won all 77 Oklahoma counties three times, and I’m proud to fight alongside him to secure our borders, strengthen our economy, and restore the American Dream,” Hern posted on social media. 

Trump’s last Oklahoma visit was in June 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. He hosted a rally at the BOK Center in Tulsa. The event drew thousands of protesters and was poorly attended, despite his campaign claiming a million tickets had been requested. 

Former presidential candidate Herman Cain died of coronavirus shortly after attending the Tulsa rally. 

The Republican National Committee also announced Trump would attend a separate rally Oct. 2 in Mobile, Alabama, a state where Trump’s popularity is also said to be waning.