Trump's Rallies Put Wealth and State Power onstage

President Donald Trump campaigned Wednesday for Republicans in Arizona and Montana, mixing election appeals with praise for a gift from Qatar, attacks on Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and calls for severe punishment of people who disclose military information.

Campaigns and political power

In Bullhead City, Trump backed Rep. Andy Biggs, who is running for governor against incumbent Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs. Arizona also has several competitive House contests. Republicans have pulled back from some battleground House races, while Democrats have sought money for candidates who seemed like long shots earlier in the year.

Trump later campaigned in Kalispell for Republican congressional candidate Aaron Flint, who faces Democrat Sam Forstag in a close race. Montana's Senate contest features Trump-endorsed GOP nominee Kurt Alme, while Democrats are divided over whether to back nominee Alani Bankhead or independent candidate Seth Bodnar.

The rallies formed part of Trump's midterm roadshow. His recent travel has included Ohio, Texas and Nebraska; on Tuesday, he visited Alaska to campaign for incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan. Sullivan faces Democrat Mary Peltola in a tight race, with another candidate named Dan Sullivan also in the contest.

At the Arizona rally, Trump repeated false claims about Arizona's 2022 election. He said voting machines had been broken, called the election "rigged" and claimed without evidence that Republican Kari Lake had beaten Hobbs. Election officials said some machines in Maricopa County temporarily failed to accept ballots, rather than misreading them, and that officials fixed the problem on Election Day afternoon. Trump also repeated his false claim that the 2020 presidential election was rigged.

Gifts, money and the campaign stage

Trump spoke at length in Arizona about a 747 that the Qatari government gave him to use as Air Force One. "And you saw the brand new 747 Air Force One. It was about time," he said. "You know, when you're given gifts, you take them, right?" He added, "When they give you a 747, you say two words: thank you." Trump said Qatar gave him the plane because he was their "friend." The aircraft had drawn concerns about its security capabilities compared with the previous Air Force One, and Trump said over the summer that it would be sent away for upgrades.

Trump brought boxer Floyd Mayweather onstage and called him "one of the greatest of all time." Mayweather said, "America is the best country in the world. If I died and came back a million times, I will always choose America." Trump said he had made "so much money with this guy" and that Mayweather had "made probably more money than just about any fighter that I can imagine." He added, "In fact, his nickname is Money." Boxer Mike Tyson appeared with Trump at a rally in Syracuse, New York, over the weekend.

Trump also remembered conservative activist Charlie Kirk on what would have been Kirk's 33rd birthday and urged voters to turn out in his honor. Kirk moved Turning Point U.S.A.'s headquarters to Arizona in 2018. He lived there with Erika Kirk and their two children before someone shot and killed him the previous year.

Federal law and military threats

Trump criticized Omar after federal agents searched her Washington, D.C., home Monday. Agents seized her phone, and roughly a dozen subpoenas went out in an investigation into potential immigration-related crimes, according to people familiar with the investigation. Omar called the search "an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement." Trump also accused her on Truth Social of financial and immigration fraud and called Somalia, where Omar was born, a "ninth-rate" country.

At the Arizona rally, Trump said "leakers should be shot," referring to people who disclose the timing of a military attack. "The leakers should be dealt with very, very strongly," he said. He also said Iran could strike the U.S. West Coast and claimed that if Iran had a nuclear weapon, "within 24 hours they would use it."

In Montana, Trump urged people to vote Republican and said Democrats would take away their gun rights. "If the Democrat communists win, they will pack the Supreme Court with radical Marxists. Take away your guns," he said. He told the crowd the Second Amendment "is under siege" but Republicans in Washington would "totally protect" it.

The Kalispell rally filled Majestic Valley Arena, a rodeo venue whose website lists capacity at 7,000. Security began turning people away, while attendees, including NBC News reporters, waited in traffic for hours to reach the parking lot. Trump's Bullhead City speech lasted about an hour and 40 minutes before he traveled to Montana for the day's second rally.