Trump Reverses Course, Restores Sunday Rallies in Kansas and Iowa

President Donald Trump is back on the road to Kansas and Iowa, restoring Sunday rallies in both states one day after canceling them in favor of a burst of tele-rallies.

Trump said calls from “my friends” in both states changed his mind. “They said, ‘if you can go, you would be better than a telerally,'” he explained, the Associated Press reported. The Republican National Committee confirmed the stops.

A White House official was blunter. “Rallies are BACK ON! President Trump loves his supporters, and in addition to nearly 20 tele-rallies, he will hold back-to-back rallies in Kansas and Iowa on Sunday,” the official said, according to Reuters.

The original plan had Trump in Salina, Kansas, on Saturday and Dubuque, Iowa, on Sunday. The RNC then announced a “72-hour sprint” of phone rallies meant to reach more voters nationwide.

Even the reversal was in flux Friday. The Iowa stop moved from Dubuque to Cedar Rapids and then back to Dubuque within hours, a person familiar with the planning told the AP.

Where and When Trump Will Appear

Trump will speak at the Five Flags Event Center in Dubuque around 2 p.m. Central, then at Hangar 509 at Salina Regional Airport around 6 p.m. Central, WIBW reported. Guests who registered for Saturday must sign up again.

Both states host battleground Senate races that could decide whether Republicans keep their narrow majority. Sen. Roger Marshall faces Democrat Adam Hamilton, a Methodist pastor, in Kansas, while Rep. Ashley Hinson is running for Senate in Iowa.

Trump already campaigned for Marshall in Park City on Oct. 19 and for Hinson in Sioux City on Oct. 22. Vice President JD Vance followed with a Topeka stop on Oct. 26.

On a Kansas City radio station Friday, Trump called Marshall “fantastic” and credited him with pressing the administration on farm-friendly policies such as expanding tax-free use of red-dyed diesel.

He branded Hamilton a “radical” who has “caused turmoil with the church because he’s so liberal.” Hamilton has said that if Jesus stood before them now, “Roger Marshall would call him ‘woke.'”

The initial cancellation had fueled chatter about the 80-year-old president’s stamina. Trump insisted Thursday he skipped Kansas only because Marshall “is doing very well,” adding, “I feel perfect.”

He also tore into a reporter who pressed him on the change. “You’re sick to ask that question,” Trump said, then added, “look at this guy, you’re way out of shape,” KCTV5 reported.

The stakes are rising as Americans vote early in huge numbers. Nearly 10 million more ballots had been cast five days before Election Day than at the same point in 2022, according to the AP’s analysis.

Early voting is up roughly 30% in Iowa and Kansas. Trump has headlined 25 rallies in October so far and was slated to hold another Friday night at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Republicans have voiced concern that dissatisfaction with Trump and high costs could keep some of their voters home, the AP reported, which helps explain the push to put the president in front of crowds in person.

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