SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — President Donald Trump veered far from midterm election politics during a rally in upstate New York on Friday, aiming a bitter diatribe at the Norwegian Nobel Committee for giving the Peace Prize he has long sought to South African jurist Navanethem “Navi” Pillay, a former U.N. human rights chief, for her work on justice and accountability for war crimes and genocide.

Trump unspooled a lengthy argument explaining why the award was “an indelible stain on the country of Norway,” saying he “should have received the Nobel Peace Prize, but didn’t.”

Trump claimed, as he often does, to have ended eight wars, though some of the conflicts the president claims to have resolved were merely tensions, and his role in easing them has been disputed. Meanwhile, the war with Iran that he and Israel started — which Trump predicted would last mere weeks — remains unsettled and is a weight on his party as it faces a dour electorate ahead of midterm elections.

An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll conducted last month and published Oct. 1 found 71% of U.S. adults disapproved of Trump’s handling of Iran, with 28% approving. The conflict has pushed gas prices higher, and polls show voters blame Trump for the high cost of living.

Trump bitterly described Pillay as “a liberal person who works at the United Nations who nobody has ever heard of,” adding: “The Nobel Peace Prize has been forever discredited by a handful of radical ideologues who are anti-democracy and really enemies of civilization. And we will not forget, Norway, ”

Nobel diatribe eclipses political mission
It was a lengthy deviation from an event aimed at promoting Bruce Blakeman, the Republican nominee in the race for New York governor. While Trump criticized Democratic incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is running for her second full term, he spent as much time excoriating New York Attorney General Letitia James, a prominent Trump adversary who brought civil charges against Trump and his business.

As a result of James’ charges, a court found Trump liable for fraud. An appeals court subsequently threw out the massive financial penalty but upheld the fraud finding. On Friday, from the stage at the Oncenter in Syracuse, New York, Trump called James “a dog.”

Trump has been on a series of political stops, trying to stoke loyalty among his base as Republicans work to fight off possible setbacks in their effort to hold congressional majorities on Nov. 3.

Friday’s mission was to lift up Republican Blakeman in the Democratic-leaning state. In Trump fashion, Blakeman, Nassau County’s executive, has suggested Democrats might steal the election, played up fears about immigrant criminals and posted AI-generated videos depicting the state as dangerous and unaffordable.

And while he invited Blakeman onstage, Trump spent large swaths of time pushing back against a national narrative that voters in the United States do not have faith in his handling of the economy.

Trump tried convincing voters that the economy is humming
Trump spent much of the first half of the rally — just 25 days before midterm elections that will determine whether Republicans can keep control of Congress — trying to talk past Americans’ gloomy feelings about the economy.

“The poverty rate has just reached its lowest level, the best number,” he said. “Lowest level in American history.”

“The job numbers are the best. The stock market has soared,” Trump said.

And while gas has fallen a few cents per gallon in the last week, it remains about 15 cents higher per gallon than a month ago, according to AAA. Trump briefly veered from his economic cheerleading to call on oil retailers directly to “start dropping their prices now.”

The latest AP-NORC poll, also found only 26% of U.S. adults approved of Trump’s handling of the economy — a new low — down from 32% in July. Notably, only 17% approved of his handling of the cost of living.

Trump has largely steered clear of political battlegrounds in his travels so far, focusing on red states and friendly crowds at a moment when Republicans worry that his unpopularity could drag down the party. The most closely watched U.S. House race in New York state is several hours away from Syracuse, where Republican Rep. Mike Lawler is trying to fend off a challenge from Democratic candidate Cait Conley.

Blakeman has emphasized his independence from Trump
On the campaign trail, Blakeman argues he’s winning over Democrats and independents, painting himself as the moderate candidate in his race against Hochul. He dismisses the idea that his closeness with the president could hurt his chances in blue New York.

In an interview, Blakeman denied he was aligned with the president on everything. “I am somebody who takes every issue and makes a decision based on good advice from smart people and common sense,” he said.

“I’ve proved my independence over and over and over again. I make my own decisions. I call my own shots,” he said.

Hochul has emphasized Blakeman’s ties to Trump — mirroring much of the Democrats’ national strategy for the midterm elections — hoping the president’s dismal approval ratings help sink her Republican foe at the ballot box.

In a sarcastic press release, Hochul’s campaign described Trump’s visit as “an extremely boring puppet show” and said Hochul, like Trump, is asking voters to pretend the president is on the ballot. “Why is Trump in Upstate New York?” the campaign asked. “Because Bruce Blakeman, for some reason, begged him to do so.”