Trump Adds Iowa, Kansas Rallies

President Donald Trump will hold in-person rallies in Iowa and Kansas this Sunday, a last-minute change that places him directly in two key Senate battlegrounds.

The shift occurs as early voting numbers surge across the nation. An analysis of voting data shows that nearly 10 million more Americans had cast ballots five days before Election Day compared to the same point in 2022. The increase is particularly sharp in states with competitive Senate races.

In Kansas and Iowa, early voting is up roughly 30%. Texas, which is deciding closely watched Senate, House, and governor's races, saw more than 6.3 million Texans vote early as of Wednesday. That figure represents a 50% increase over the 4.2 million who voted by the same date four years ago. Other states with competitive Senate races, including Maine, Michigan, and North Carolina, also saw advance voting rise by more than 30%. South Carolina, selecting a successor to late Sen. Lindsey Graham, recorded an 83% increase in early voting.

Trump’s schedule for the weekend changed rapidly. His original plan called for a rally in Salina, Kansas, on Saturday and another in Dubuque, Iowa, on Sunday. Those in-person events were initially canceled in favor of a 72-hour sprint of phone-based telerallies. The Republican National Committee stated the phone rallies were intended to help the president reach more voters nationwide.

The reversal came after Trump said he received calls from friends in the two states. He noted that they told him he would be better than a telerally if he went in person. The president’s schedule remained in flux through Friday. His Iowa appearance was briefly moved from Dubuque to Cedar Rapids before shifting back to Dubuque hours later. A person familiar with the planning, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed these rapid changes. The RNC later confirmed the final locations as Dubuque and Salina.

Trump pushed back against reports suggesting fatigue or health issues caused the initial cancellation. Speaking on Thursday after returning to Washington from South Carolina, he told a reporter that he was not going to Kansas because Sen. Roger Marshall is doing very well. He added that he feels perfect. On Friday, he told a Kansas City radio station that Marshall is fantastic. He credited the senator for pushing administration policies that benefit Kansas farmers, such as expanding the tax-free use of red-dyed diesel.

The Senate races in these states will help determine whether Republicans hold their narrow majority in the chamber. Trump has already visited both states this month to support Marshall and Iowa Senate candidate Ashley Hinson, a current House member. Trump criticized Marshall’s Democratic challenger, Adam Hamilton, calling him a radical who caused turmoil in the church due to his liberal views. Hamilton responded by saying that if Jesus were present now, Marshall would call him woke.

In Michigan, the Senate race remains a focal point for Democrats. Rep. Haley Stevens, who lost the primary to Abdul El-Sayed in August, reemerged in the final week before the general election. Stevens appeared on CNN to say she would vote for El-Sayed but called on him to repair relations with Jewish and Black voters. This came hours after her fiancé said he would vote for El-Sayed’s Republican opponent, Mike Rogers. On Friday, Stevens released a statement criticizing El-Sayed’s past rhetoric and an advertisement linking U.S. support for Israel to rising grocery prices. She wrote that El-Sayed can begin getting Israel out of his explanation for everything Michigan cannot afford.

Historic amounts of money have flowed into this year’s midterm elections. Republicans have expressed concern about voter turnout given dissatisfaction with the president and high costs. Democrats have focused their campaigns on affordability issues and the president’s unpopularity. Trump promised a marathon sprint of rallies at the start of October to shore up Republican candidates. He has headlined 25 of them so far this month.