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Trump: If Democrats take the House, 'I'll just figure it out'

Heading into the final weekend before Election Day, President Donald Trump stuck to a dark, familiar script at a pair of Friday rallies, equating a vote for Democrats with chaos and crime.
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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Heading into the final weekend before Election Day, President Donald Trump stuck to a dark, familiar script at two campaign rallies Friday, equating a vote for Democrats with chaos and crime.

"A blue wave would equal a crime wave, very simple," Trump told the crowd at his second rally of the day, in Indianapolis. "And a red wave equals jobs and security."

Earlier, in West Virginia, he suggested again that that blue wave could prevail — adding that if they did, he would still be alright.

“It could happen, could happen," Trump told the crowd of rally-goers in a Huntington airport hangar, with Air Force One in the background. "We are doing very well, and we are doing really well in the Senate, but it could happen.”

But if it did, said Trump, he'd be okay. "And you know what you do? My whole life, you know what I say? 'Don’t worry about it, I’ll just figure it out.' Does that make sense? I’ll just figure it out," he said.

At both Friday rallies, Trump looked to appeal to women voters, a pivotal demographic in the midterms, by framing immigration as a "women's issue."

"[Women] want safe communities, and they want criminals thrown in jail, or thrown the hell out of our country," Trump said in Indianapolis. "...I love women! Love them more than men."

"The Democrats want to invite caravan after caravan, and you see we have all these caravans forming, you see them there. Gee, I wonder how that happens. I wonder how," he added, appearing to imply again, without offering evidence, that Democrats had provided support. "I think they overplayed their hand on this one, folks."

In West Virginia, Trump also repeated another recent message: that there's only so much he can do to help the GOP hold on to both chambers of Congress. There are a lot of competitive House races around the country, he said, and "I can't go everywhere," meaning that Democrats could "squeak it by."

But both of his Friday stops were focused on the upper chamber. In Huntington, Trump campaigned for West Virginia attorney general Patrick Morrisey, who is challenging Democratic incumbent Sen. Joe Manchin.

“I have to say, I like Joe. The problem is, I am just not going to get his vote," Trump said before introducing Morrisey.

Acknowledging one potential flaw with that argument — he did get Manchin's vote just last month to approve his Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh — Trump said that vote was not proof his loyalty.

“So I said Joe, I need the vote, like, today,” Trump said, suggesting that Manchin took too long to commit his support. But after Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, announced her support for the nomination, "we had all the votes, so we didn't need Joe's vote. And he pressed that button. ... I said 'Joe, Joe that doesn't count. It doesn't count.'"

West Virginia has been a bedrock for President Trump. Only one other state went for him over Hillary Clinton by a greater margin in 2016, and it was one of only two states where every single county voted for the president. And contrary to national trends, Trump’s high approval rating in West Virginia has remained steady throughout his presidency.

Despite Trump’s continued popularity, Manchin has managed to hold an edge over Trump-allied Morrisey in polls of the closely watched Senate race.

Michelle Williams, 42, a caregiver from Wayne County and a registered Republican, said at the rally that she hadn’t decided who she would support for Senate on Tuesday.

“I am not sure. I just don’t know. I will probably vote Republican because I support the president but I just haven’t decided. I’ll go with my gut on Election Day,” she said.

Jennifer Douglas, 48, who works at the Huntington airport where Trump held his rally, said she voted for Trump in 2016, and has voted for Manchin in the past — but wouldn’t do so this time.

“I am going to vote straight Republican. I am just going to try something different. I won’t say that I would never support Manchin again, but not this time,” she said.

In Indianapolis later Friday evening, Trump headlined a rally for Republican Mike Braun, an Indiana businessman and state representative who is challenging Democratic incumbent Sen. Joe Donnelly. A recent NBC poll suggests Donnelly has an edge of just two points, well within the poll’s margin of error.

Trump went after Donnelly for opposing Justice Brett Kavanaugh's nomination after he supported Justice Neil Gorsuch.

"He joined the Democratic mob to vote against Justice Brett Kavanaugh," Trump said. The same NBC poll shows that 40 percent of voters in Indiana say they are more likely to vote for a candidate who supported Kavanaugh compared to 33 percent who say they prefer someone who did not support him.

Trump also criticized Donnelly for planning to campaign with former President Barack Obama in northwest Indiana this Sunday. Obama won the state in 2008 but lost in 2012.

"It is no surprise that Joe Donnelly is holding a rally this week with Barack H. Obama,” Trump said, using his finger to draw the "H," which stands for "Hussein," in the air as he spoke.

Trump plans to campaign throughout the weekend, appearing with Republican candidates in Montana, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee.