Inside Trump's final days before the midterms aboard Air Force One: Natalie Harp, celebrity guests and a 'party vibe' sparking GOP alarm

President Donald Trump's approval ratings are at record lows, and polls for Congressional Republicans are bad, but on the now-frequent Air Force One campaign trips, the party is going strong. In the expansive lounge area on the new Qatari-donated Air Force One, the energy is high as Trump staffers and members of Congress and their spouses snap selfies and engage with celebrity guests on the plane while waiting for the president to arrive.'It's definitely a party vibe,' one guest of the president told the Daily Mail after a campaign trip aboard Air Force One. Trump has held 26 rallies in just 23 days, crisscrossing states he won in 2024 in a last-ditch bid to rescue flagging Republican candidates. The party kicks into gear when Trump boards with his inner circle of Natalie Harp, Dan Scavino, Margo Martin and Steven Cheung, plus aides Walt Nauta and Chris Ambrosini.Chief of Staff Susie Wiles joins on occasion, and is getting the old campaign band back together. Former campaign officials Johnny DeStefano, Danielle Alvarez, Alex Bruesewitz and Jason Miller have all rejoined as special government employees.But the mood in the country is sharply different from the old party days of Trump's 2024 campaign. Trump's close advisors feel like if Republican members of Congress lose they only have themselves to blame.'The president can only do so much,' one Trump political advisor told the Daily Mail. 'If we do fall short in the midterms, it's not because of the president's lack of trying or lack of effort.' Rapper Nicki Minaj steps off Air Force One after traveling with President Donald Trump to Michigan Trump is greeted by country music singer Jason Aldean and his wife Brittany after stepping off of Air Force One on October 24, 2026 at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia President Donald Trump walks from Marine One with boxer Mike Tyson and President of the New York Yankees Randy Levine President Donald Trump points to NASCAR legend Richard Petty as he exits Air Force One in North Carolina Trump is betting on star power and pure spectacle in the final run-up to Election Day.In the last month, legendary boxers Floyd Mayweather Jr, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, have been spotted on the plane as well as NASCAR legend Richard Petty, New York Yankees president Randy Levine, former NFL coach Jon Gruden, and NFL running back Todd Gurley.The president's top celebrity endorser Nicki Minaj also dazzled Trump supporters on a campaign event to Michigan last weekend, as the president's comments about her 'a**' made headlines.Former college football star Johnny Manziel and two-time NFL Super Bowl champion Danny Amendola also joined the president for a campaign to Texas.Country music star Jason Aldean appeared at a Trump rally in Georgia.Trump's celebrity blitz is generating plenty of buzz on social media, but it is doing little to calm Republican insiders, who say the president is ignoring the political reality facing the party.The Daily Mail's midterms power polling average, an analysis of polling averages, shows Democrats capturing over 51 percent of the support compared to Republicans at 43 percent.Former Kansas Republican governor Bill Graves told CNN that Trump's rallies were 'the freak show at the carnival', and attacked the president's 'infatuation with his own self'.'It's always very entertaining,' he said, 'but whether or not it translates into increased voter turnout on behalf of Roger Marshall … is hard to be believed.'The rallies have done nothing to lift Trump's approval ratings, which remain stubbornly low.'Midterms are decided by the president's approval numbers and economic sentiment, and both of those are absolutely atrocious,' a Republican campaign leadership aide told the Daily Mail.A second Republican strategist said efforts to get Trump to focus on affordability and gas prices had fallen flat. 'The war in Iran was definitely not a smart move. Republicans should have been pushing back a little bit on him, but they're all afraid.'On Thursday, Trump abruptly cancelled weekend trips to Kansas and Iowa, two of the toss-up states. He reinstated them less than 24 hours later, after a backlash in the media.With time running out, lawmakers and staff aboard Air Force One are making memories while they can.Trump greets every guest when he boards, shaking hands, posing for photos and often giving a quick tour of the plane.'It's an exciting environment,' a senior White House official told the Daily Mail. 'Everyone is super-jazzed. A lot of these people have never been on Air Force One.' President Donald Trump speaks with NFL football player Todd Gurley as he exits Air Force One in Georgia Donald Trump snaps a picture in The Beast presidential limo with NASCAR driver Danica Patrick Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and NASCAR driver Danica Patrick during a rallyAfter urging everyone to enjoy themselves, he retreats to his office for last-minute calls and meetings.The days of late-night McDonald's are over. White House chefs now serve meals that typically reflect the cuisine of the destination, one traveller said. Trump also hands out a steady supply of sweets, including presidential M&M's, Hershey's Kisses and Starbursts, which guests keep as souvenirs.On the outbound flight, Trump works on his speech with speechwriter Ross Worthington and goes over the latest numbers with White House political advisers Matt Brasseaux and Richard Walters.Outside adviser James Blair, who left the White House in April to focus on the midterms, is back in the fold and working 'hand in glove' with Brasseaux, an official said. His return comes after Trump threatened to fire him when he and fellow adviser Chris LaCivita were caught travelling to the Balkans to advise on a foreign campaign. The president was reportedly placated when the pair donated their fees to his presidential library.Trump remains dismissive of public polling, but he is closely tracking voter registration margins and early returns.'He's thinking about it holistically,' said an official familiar with his thinking. 'He's focused on winning the midterms. We're all in this boat together, rowing in the same direction.'When candidates travel with him, Trump meets with them privately to discuss their races.The burst of energy has surprised Republican lawmakers, who grumbled privately for most of 2026 that Trump had no appetite for the campaign trail. He has now held 26 rallies in 23 days, almost all in states he won in 2024. Florida, Kansas and Iowa are next before Tuesday's vote. Former professional boxer Floyd Mayweather appears with Trump staffers during an Air Force One trip Rapper Nicki Minaj on Air Force One with Trump communications director Steven Cheung President Donald Trump speaks with members of the press before boarding Air Force One Senate Majority Leader John Thune has been conspicuously absent from the trips. Majority Whip John Barrasso of Wyoming, by contrast, has flown with Trump several times.'We are doing all we can to get out the votes in these key Senate races,' Barrasso told the Daily Mail. 'It's so important for voters to know the difference between commonsense Republicans and crazy Democrats.'President Trump is crisscrossing the nation to share this message with every single voter, and I'm glad to be with him in so many states.'Some celebrity guests get a ride on Marine One, or even in The Beast, the armored presidential limo.'Mike Tyson gets to ride on Marine One, because Mike Tyson is an American legend,' one Trump adviser said.The real party starts on the flight home, when Trump holds court in the centre lounge with football or Fox News on the screens. Senator John Barrasso is the highest ranking Senator to travel with President Trump on multiple campaign trips Football stars Danny Amendola, left, and Johnny Manziel arrive with President Donald Trump on Air Force One for a campaign trip White House chief of staff Susie Wiles travels on some of the campaign trips during the week as well as Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller'It's a bit more social. There's definitely more of a party vibe on the trip back,' one guest said.'There's no sleeping. Everyone is cutting loose, talking or working,' said another.Anyone who dozes off risks being photographed and mocked in group chats.Trump himself never sleeps on the plane. 'To say he is the Energizer bunny is an understatement,' a senior White House aide said.If Republicans fall short, his team is quick to note that he still has two years left in office, whoever controls Congress.'At the end of the day, I believe that our campaign apparatus, the president's apparatus, has done everything they can possibly do to help Republicans win,' one senior official said.The plane typically lands at Joint Base Andrews in the early hours. Bleary-eyed staff head home, only to be back at the White House a few hours later for the next whirlwind trip.