AIR FORCE ONE – Nine months stretch before the 2026 midterm elections, an eternity in America’s breakneck news cycle.
Republicans are grappling with mounting challenges. The SAVE America Act remains stalled in Congress. FISA reauthorization has sparked fresh intraparty battles. Gas prices are up as the U.S. fights in the Middle East. The political right is at war with itself over whether the conflict is worthwhile and keeping with the president’s campaign promises.
Against this backdrop, President Donald Trump embarked on a two-day swing through Nevada and Arizona, two critical purple states that could determine Republican fortunes in November. While initially billed as part of his year-long domestic tour addressing the affordability crisis, this trip carried a markedly different energy: a forceful, optimistic rallying cry for Republicans to “Build The Red Wall” in 2026.
The Daily Caller accompanied the president aboard Air Force One, conducting interviews and covering his events as part of the White House press pool.
“If you want a rich and strong country that you’re going to be proud of America, you must go out in the midterms and vote Republican. We need to say that,” Trump said in his final event of the weekend.
Las Vegas: Testing the Waters
The domestic-focused trip launched on the heels of a major foreign policy development; Israel and Lebanon had just agreed to a 10-day ceasefire. This prompted the president to field questions for over 20 minutes before departing for Las Vegas, the birthplace of his signature “No Tax on Tips” policy.
“Thanks to our tax cuts, this week thousands of Nevada waiters, waitresses, casino dealers, bartenders, bellman, barbers, caddies – I love those caddies, they’re very good if you have the right caddie – and valets receive the biggest tax refunds of their entire lives,” the president said at his Vegas event.
The president’s roundtable on “No Tax on Tips” was held in a sizable hotel conference room. Most of the room was filled with attendees, about 200 total. A large group of press flooded the back of the room.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent joined Trump on stage alongside local workers and business owners directly impacted by the policy.
“Together, these brand new cuts and deductions in the Republican bill have been claimed by nearly half of all tax filers, so in one form or another, more than 50% have taken advantage of the things that we put into the bill,” Trump said.
“And we got to win the midterms. If we don’t, these policies are going to be taken away from you,” Trump added.
Las Vegas breaks out in USA chants as Trump takes the stage to celebrate his “No Tax On Tips” policy.
About 200 people have packed the room for the roundtable. pic.twitter.com/fyJoRRTdBF
— Reagan Reese (@reaganreese_) April 17, 2026
Behind-the-scenes of what it’s like to travel with the President of the United States: pic.twitter.com/N9VKbXb6Gy
— Reagan Reese (@reaganreese_) April 17, 2026
Upon first glance, one would assume the room was packed with the president’s most loyal supporters. Attendees were decked in MAGA gear, bedazzled USA vests and Trump 2024 pins. The Caller was able to speak to a few attendees at the event before the president’s remarks began. (RELATED: Republicans Rebrand Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill Ahead Of Midterms)
One man, a 30-year-old Las Vegas finance worker, told the Caller he voted for Trump for the first time in 2024 after being uninterested in past elections. He was granted anonymity to speak freely about his thoughts.
“I voted for Donald Trump because he said, release the Epstein Files, no new wars and control the border,” the man told the Caller.
Frustrated by his economic situation and America’s foreign entanglements, he attended hoping to question the president about the Iran conflict.
“He could get my vote back, immediately, if he brings our troops home and prosecutes everybody in the Epstein files,” the Vegas resident shared.
Contrast that with a 38-year-old tax preparer who came specifically to celebrate the “No Tax on Tips” policy’s impact.
“I have filed about 285 tax returns this year and the average person has increased their refund by $1,700,” the man told the Caller, who was also granted anonymity to speak freely. “It’s very rewarding personally and professionally to actually see it come to fruition.”
After an hour of discussion, Trump closed with his signature “YMCA” dance before the motorcade departed for Trump Hotel.
Phoenix: Campaign Mode Activated
The true headlining event of the weekend came on day two of the trip: Turning Point USA’s “Build the Red Wall” rally.
More than 3,000 supporters packed Dream City Church, creating an atmosphere that felt distinctly like vintage Trump campaign events. TPUSA’s Erika Kirk delivered a stark warning to attendees about the stakes of the upcoming midterms before introducing Trump.
“This country is worth fighting for. And he is not alone in this fight. And we are blessed to be Americans, and we are going to fight like it,” Kirk told attendees.
Erika Kirk takes the stage ahead of President Trump at TPUSA’s “Build The Red Wall” event.
It’s her first appearance since having to cancel a previous event due to security threats.
She receives a standing ovation. A few attendees yell out “we love you Erika” as things settle… pic.twitter.com/ov603URg0g
— Reagan Reese (@reaganreese_) April 17, 2026
Prior to the event, Trump announced that Iran had “agreed to everything” and a comprehensive deal appeared imminent. Just moments before taking the stage at TPUSA, the president told the Daily Caller that things were looking good and talks would continue into the weekend.
🚨JUST IN: After saying Iran has “agreed to everything,” Trump told @reaganreese_ in Phoenix that the Strait of Hormuz blockade would end only after a formal deal is signed.
Trump said, “When the agreement is signed, the blockade ends. Soon as the agreement gets signed, that’s… pic.twitter.com/97xCchqZXH
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) April 17, 2026
While Trump briefly mentioned the Iran developments during his Phoenix address, he stayed focused on his core message: remember why you elected me, and vote red in November.
“This is the choice for every voter in the midterms. Democrats want to drag America down, destroy our country, put it into crime, poverty and squalor, really the squalor of a third world nation,” Trump said as “Build The Red Wall” flashed behind him.
“We would have been, if I didn’t win this election, within a short period of time, we would have been a third world nation. Hard to believe.”
“Republicans want to build America up into a nation with no rivals in human history, to make your family safer and wealthier than ever before,” he concluded.
There’s 3,000+ people here for President Trump’s remarks at the “Building the Red Wall” event, a TPUSA official tells @DailyCaller. pic.twitter.com/HxHjyWnTNx
— Reagan Reese (@reaganreese_) April 17, 2026
TPUSA plays a hype up video for President Trump as he takes the stage. Big theme of the event is the importance of 2026 midterms. Feels like a vintage Trump rally.
Prior to the president’s speech, Erika Kirk stressed to attendees the importance of the midterms so “we don’t lose… pic.twitter.com/CIjXpE1uKj
— Reagan Reese (@reaganreese_) April 17, 2026
Tyler Bowyer, the Chief Operating Officer of TPUSA Action, told the Caller that the feedback from attendees at Friday’s rally was simple: Trump is back.
Bowyer told the Caller TPUSA has been in constant communication with the White House over the importance of Nevada and Arizona in the upcoming midterm elections.
They’ve started to lay the ground work for what they call the “Red Wall,” Nevada, Arizona and New Hampshire. Three states that the organization believes can rival what Democrats have built with their “Blue Wall” in the rust belt.
With their plan in motion, TPUSA invited the president out for the headlining event, Bowyer told the Caller. And his presence indicated that the White House team understands how important these states are to the Republican Party.
“I think everybody felt like, oh, wow, this was a big win,” Bowyer told the Caller. “More of this is probably what’s going to help midterms.”
“The President plays a huge role in the midterms. I think the more of that he does, the more the general public sees him, and his expression, his reaction to pretty significant things happening, I think the more confidence it gives our team,” Bowyer added.
Returning Home
With the high of a political rally, Trump joined the Daily Caller and a handful of other reporters in the back of the plane on the ride home to take some questions at 11 p.m.
Despite the domestic focus of the last 48 hours, Iran dominated the gaggle as things still seem uneasy in the Middle East.
AIR FORCE ONE — I asked President Trump if Cuba is next, Trump pauses and then tells me that it “depends on what your definition of military action is.”
Asked if it could look like Venezuela or Iran, he says “really it does, it depends on what your definition of military action… pic.twitter.com/bqYlfX7FFx
— Reagan Reese (@reaganreese_) April 18, 2026
On Air Force One, Trump tells me he is in favor of tying the SAVE America Act into FISA renewal.
“I would like to see that. The SAVE America Act is so important, so good.” pic.twitter.com/sXRiUUHomN
— Reagan Reese (@reaganreese_) April 18, 2026
The western swing represents Trump’s clearest signal yet that he’s heard his base’s concerns about excessive focus on foreign policy over domestic priorities.
Whether this recalibration can unite a fractured GOP coalition and build momentum for the midterms remains an open question, but Trump’s return to campaign-style rallying suggests the answer may lie in reminding supporters why they chose Trump in the first place.
“Today, we are making [America] more exceptional than ever thought, possible than ever before. With your support in these midterms, we will continue this momentum and achieve total and ultimate victory for America,” Trump said in Phoenix.
