Trump taps Native American campaign surrogates

• It's the latest example of the Trump campaign's efforts this cycle to win over non-white voting blocs that have historically sided with Democrats — as the GOP rebrands itself as the party for the working class.

Zoom in: Mullin is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, and Gabbard is American Samoan, a Pacific Islander.

• They have been traveling through North Carolina, Nevada and Arizona in recent weeks, touting Trump's promises to tribal nations.
• "President Trump has already made mention of this that he's going to have a large understanding ... of self-determination and sovereignty and understanding what the treaties actually mean," Mullin said Tuesday at a North Carolina event alongside Donald Trump Jr.

The intrigue: Mullin hinted at openness to an administration gig, telling the North Carolina crowd, "I'm so proud that I'm going to hopefully be part of it, working side by side with [Trump] in the Senate or in another capacity."

Between the lines: The nation's more than 500 tribes have been asserting themselves in recent years, clashing with more Democrats and Republicans over sovereignty issues around oil drilling, endangered species protections and voting rights, our colleague Russell Contreras reports.

• While Native American voters in states like Arizona, New Mexico and South Dakota tend to be staunchly Democratic, Oklahomans are more likely to vote with the GOP.
• Mullin is one of just five Native Americans serving in Congress — and the only one in the Senate.