President Trump said his rallies are delivering a measurable boost to Republicans ahead of the midterms, pointing to crowd sizes and polling movement as he prepares to travel to Ohio.
Asked for his assessment of how the midterms will turn out, the president tied the GOP's standing directly to his event schedule.
"Well I think the rallies right now I'm going to Ohio," Trump said. "I think the rallies have had a massive impact. You see the numbers go up every time I have a rally. It's beyond the area too. And every one of them is sold out. Every one of them has thousands of people standing outside."
The president described crowds so large that his team is bringing in additional equipment to accommodate supporters who cannot get inside.
"In fact, we're getting the jumbo trunks. You know, the big television said going the outside of a building because we want to take care. We have thousands of people that can't get it," he said.
He closed with a flat prediction: "I think the rallies are having a tremendously positive impact and effect on the way possible."
Trump Weighs In on Ilhan Omar
In a separate exchange, the president was asked about Rep. Ilhan Omar and whether the Justice Department is examining her.
"I understand they're looking at her very carefully. I've always known that it would be totally crooked personally, but that has nothing to do with me," Trump said.
The president made clear he is not directing any action against her, placing the matter squarely with the Justice Department.
"I think she's a terrible person, she's just a complainer. She comes from a country that is a non-country, and then she comes over here, and she complains about our country," he said.
"I think she's a terrible person, but that's really up to the DOJ. I have nothing to do with her."
Rally Push Continues
The president's remarks come as he heads to Ohio, with the midterm map in focus and his rally schedule positioned at the center of the Republican effort.
Trump's account of packed venues and overflow crowds is the argument he is making to Republicans: that the energy at his events translates into support for the party's candidates down the ballot.
"You see the numbers go up every time I have a rally," he said, adding that the effect extends "beyond the area."
