Trump Cancels Kansas and Iowa Rallies, Shifts to Tele-Rallies in 19 States
President Donald Trump canceled his weekend rallies in Kansas and Iowa on Thursday and will instead phone in to tele-rallies across 19 states in the final days before Tuesday’s midterm elections.
The in-person stops were set for Salina, Kansas, on Saturday and Dubuque, Iowa, on Sunday, Reuters reported. Since Oct. 1, Trump has held 25 rallies in 19 states, often in rural, Republican-friendly areas.
The Republican National Committee billed the change as a “72-hour sprint” of rallies by phone. RNC Chairman Joe Gruters said voters “want to hear from President Trump before Election Day,” according to The Hill.
The committee listed Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia, and said more events may be added.
Trump Says Marshall Is ‘Doing Very Well’
Trump told reporters he did not “feel like I have to go to Kansas,” where Sen. Roger Marshall faces Democrat Adam Hamilton. “He is doing very well,” Trump said. “We are going to have a strong Tuesday night.”
The race is tighter than Republicans would like. A CNN/SSRS poll released Thursday showed Hamilton ahead by 4 points, within the margin of error, The Hill noted. The Washington Post reported that Republicans are worried about losing the seat.
Trump bristled when a reporter asked whether his health was behind the Kansas change. “You’ve been following me for two weeks. I feel perfect,” he said, according to NBC News, before telling the reporter to “put yourself in shape.”
Trump has acknowledged the pace is grueling. Speaking hoarsely in Corinth, Mississippi, on Monday, he told the crowd, “God didn’t make your vocal cords to do a rally every day.”
The Iowa cancellation followed hours later. A White House official and a person familiar with the plans confirmed the Dubuque stop was off. Dubuque sits in Iowa’s contested 2nd Congressional District.
Iowa GOP operatives told NBC that an in-person visit would have helped. “A tele-rally will be helpful in boosting turnout, but an in-person rally would have been really helpful,” one said. Another said, “Iowa’s in pretty good shape.”
Two White House officials said Trump is aiming for “more than 20” tele-rallies by Election Day. He is still scheduled to rally Friday in Daytona Beach, Florida, for Rep. Randy Fine and Sen. Ashley Moody.
The switch means shorter appearances. The Associated Press reported that Trump will be expected to speak for about 10 minutes on each call, compared with the 90-plus minutes he typically delivers at in-person events.
The changes came the same day Trump made his second South Carolina visit in a month, rallying in Rock Hill for Sen. Darline Graham, who faces Democrat Annie Andrews in a closely watched race.
Democrats seized on the cancellations. Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed claimed the president had “given up,” while the RNC said the shift was about “maximizing opportunities” for Trump to reach voters nationwide.
The White House has not released Trump’s schedule for Monday, the final day of the campaign, and it is unclear whether he will hold more in-person events after Florida.
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