Trump's 2026 midterm strategy in battleground races
Note: this story's title references 'battleground races,' but the article most consistent with that framing is a CNN piece on former Sen. Joe Manchin's endorsements -- the second cached item, about Africa as an AI data-center frontier, is an unrelated story pulled in by the linker and is not covered here. Former West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who left the Democratic Party before retiring in 2025, said on CNBC that he backs two Republican Senate candidates in pivotal November races: former Rep. Mike Rogers in Michigan's open-seat contest, and incumbent Sen. Susan Collins of Maine. Manchin, who has been building a national network of independents, called Collins part of 'the soul of the Senate' and said he'd campaign for her, while praising Rogers as a 'personal friend' he expects to do well -- though he added Rogers still needs to break with President Trump's trade policies to win. Collins faces Democrat Troy Jackson in Maine, a state Trump has lost three times, while Rogers faces progressive Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan; CNN polling released the same week showed both races too close to call.
Follow this story on the globe
As it ran
14 September 2026
- Joe Manchin says he supports Republican candidates in battleground Senate races in Maine and Michigan CNN
- Manchin says he supports GOP candidates in battleground Senate races in Maine and Michigan CNN