Donald Trump is to spend at least 40 days campaigning across America for the mid-term elections – more than either Barack Obama or George W Bush did while in office.

The US president has tasked his aides with getting him out of Washington DC and in front of voters as much as possible in the run-up to the November election.

Mr Trump’s 40 days on the road between August 1 to November 6 will make him the “most aggressive campaigner in recent presidential history”, according to a person familiar with his thinking.

Mr Bush, the former Republican president, spent 33 days travelling in each of his two mid-term election campaigns while Mr Obama spent 36 and around 22 days in each.

The campaign blitz is the clearest sign yet that Mr Trump believes his personal charisma and record in office can help swing races in favour of the Republican Party.