Trump restores Kansas and Iowa rallies after brief cancellation
The president reversed a Thursday decision to skip in-person events in two key swing states, opting instead to combine them with a nationwide tele-rally series.
By Harvey Wilson ·
President Donald Trump resumed plans to hold in-person rallies in Kansas and Iowa on Saturday, reversing a decision made just one day earlier. The change comes five days before the midterm elections, a contest that will determine control of the US Congress.
On Thursday, the Republican National Committee announced that the president would forgo the Kansas and Iowa appearances. The party stated it felt it was in a strong position in those states and said Trump would instead participate in a large number of tele-rallies. By Friday morning, a source familiar with the scheduling changes confirmed the in-person events were back on. The new schedule rearranges the stops to accommodate the 19 tele-rallies Trump is also leading.
It remains unclear if the president had planned to restore the stops or if they were unexpectedly added to his calendar. On Thursday, Trump told reporters he believed Republicans would have a strong Tuesday night and did not feel compelled to travel to Kansas. He dismissed a question from a Reuters reporter about whether he was tired of traveling by calling the inquiry sick and the reporter disgusting.
The reversal occurs as polls indicate tight races in states that have historically favored Republicans. In Kansas, polls show a slim margin between the Republican and Democratic Senate candidates. The state has not sent a Democrat to the US Senate in 96 years. In Iowa, Democrats hold a small edge in both the gubernatorial and Senate races.
Democratic strategists have grown confident in recent months that they can flip seats in these red states. This optimism stems partly from voter dissatisfaction with Trump's handling of the cost of living, an issue exacerbated by the US war on Iran. A Guardian and Harris poll of roughly 2,000 adults found that the cost of living and government corruption are the top issues for voters heading into next week's election.
Trump's Saturday tele-rallies will target 19 states. These include competitive Senate races in Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio, Texas, and South Carolina. The virtual events will also focus on states with competitive House or gubernatorial races, including Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
Trump urged voters to treat the midterms as a referendum on his presidency, despite his declining approval ratings. Democrats are aiming to retake the US House of Representatives and the Senate, capitalizing on growing discontent with the administration's economic performance.
