In a post on Oct 3, Trump wrote:
"Republicans must WIN the 2026 Midterm Elections, and we must use every appropriate tool — whether you vote early, absentee, by mail, or in-person, we must swamp the Radical Left Dumocrats with massive turnout! SO IMPORTANT — PLEASE GET OUT AND VOTE. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"
The message is simple: However you cast it, cast it.
*A Notable Shift*
The emphasis marks a striking turn from Trump's long campaign against mail voting.
Just last month, after the Supreme Court on Sept. 14 blocked his administration's attempt to impose federal mail-ballot restrictions for the 2026 midterms, Trump called it "a big loss for Republicans, and America itself" and claimed it would make cheating by Democrats "a much easier thing to do."
For a decade, Trump has made baseless claims about widespread mail-ballot fraud — claims repeatedly rejected by courts and election officials.
Now, with midterms a month away on Nov. 3, his political operation is taking the opposite tactical line.
*The Strategy Behind It*
James Blair, Trump's political director and top midterm strategist, outlined the plan to Breitbart News Saturday.
Blair said Trump will become "extremely active" in the final six weeks, coordinating appearances with the start of early and mail voting. Republicans will explicitly urge supporters: "Vote now by mail if you want to. Vote in person early if that's your preference. Don't wait till Election Day."
The target is "low- and mid-propensity" Republican voters — people who turned out for Trump in presidential years but often skip midterms.
The RNC is already running http://swampthevote.com, emailing voters that their "mail-in ballot is AVAILABLE TODAY" with state-by-state guides on requesting ballots.
*Why Now?*
Republicans learned a hard lesson in 2020 and 2022: when Democrats bank early votes while Republicans wait for Election Day, a bad weather day or long lines can decide races.
Trump's team is now embracing what strategists call "banking the vote" early, even while Trump continues to argue the system should be changed long-term.
It's the GOP two-step that has become familiar: attack mail voting as policy, but use it as tactic.
With polls showing Democrats leading the generic ballot by several points and control of the House and Senate on the line, Trump is betting that massive turnout — by any legal method — is the only path to holding power.