President Donald Trump will be campaigning in Grand Island, Nebraska, on Monday amid a competitive Senate race between Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Dan Osborn, who is running as an independent but is backed by many Democrat leaders hoping he will flip the seat.
The race is rated “Likely Republican” by the Cook Political Report. Osborn ran against Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) in 2024, and he garnered over 46 percent of the vote. The president won the state with nearly over 59 percent support, compared with just under 39 percent for then-Vice President Kamala Harris. The rally is part of a broader effort from the president to boost turnout ahead of the midterm elections, including in states he won.
Max Oberg, deputy campaign manager for Ricketts, said that the senator “looks forward to welcoming President Trump to Nebraska.”
See you tomorrow, Grand Island! Nebraska, get ready! President Trump is coming your way 🇺🇸 https://t.co/tZLtAAVe8n
— Republicans (@Republicans) October 4, 2026
“Senator Ricketts is working with the President to pass year-round E15 for Nebraska's corn growers and ethanol producers,” he added. “Ban stock trading by members of Congress to restore trust in government. Codify ratepayer protections so Nebraska families aren't footing the bill for data centers. And deliver a Farm Bill for our farmers and ranchers."
Meanwhile, the state Republican Party pointed out that it is the first presidential visit to Grand Island in two decades, and added that “Nebraskans will reject the Democrats' failed agenda” during the midterm elections. The Republican National Committee said that Osborn “would partner with Chuck Schumer to raise taxes, give freebies to illegals, and let men in women's locker rooms” if he’s elected in November, nicknaming him "Democrat Dan."
However, Democrats and the Osborn campaign have taken a different view of Trump’s visit to the Cornhusker State.
President Trump on visiting red states such as Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio, Alabama and Nebraska: "Well I won all of them by a lot. I'm going there just to make sure." https://t.co/EeHTbkyFX2
— CSPAN (@cspan) October 1, 2026
"In 2024 the president campaigned on no forever wars, standing up to China, lowering the cost of groceries, and securing the border. I’m still running on that same platform two years later,” Osborn said in a statement. “Ricketts has abandoned those principles. He's begging the party bosses to come save this election for him.” Osborn also referred a post critical of the Ricketts family from February 2016, saying that “Trump tweeted once about the skeletons in the Ricketts family's closet, maybe those will come out at this rally."
The Nebraska Democratic Party plans on protesting the visit, with NDP Chair Jane Kleeb saying that “Trump coming to Grand Island tells you one basic fact: Republicans are in trouble, even in Nebraska.”
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