Midterm Rally Shuffle: Trump Moves Kansas and Iowa Stops to Same Sunday

President Donald Trump has rescheduled his campaign rallies in Iowa and Kansas to occur back-to-back on Sunday, reversing a decision to cancel those events earlier in the week. The president will hold both in-person appearances in a single day after initially planning a Saturday stop in Kansas and a Sunday stop in Iowa. This change follows a public statement that he would skip Kansas entirely.

A person familiar with the schedule said the rallies were rearranged to accommodate new telerallies added to Trump’s calendar. The Republican National Committee had announced that the telerallies would replace in-person events to reach more voters nationwide at a lower cost. These phone rallies typically involve Trump speaking for about 10 minutes to callers, a sharp contrast to the 90-minute speeches he delivers at physical venues. GOP officials have not released a specific schedule for these new telerallies.

The location for the Iowa stop has also shifted. The rally will now take place in Cedar Rapids instead of Dubuque, according to another person familiar with the plans who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Both Iowa and Kansas feature Senate races that will help determine if Republicans maintain their majority in the chamber. The president has already visited both states this month to support Republican candidates.

Trump defended the initial cancellation of the Kansas stop on Thursday, pushing back against reports that fatigue or health issues played a role. He told a reporter that he was not going to Kansas because Senator Roger Marshall was performing well in polls. “I’m not going to Kansas because he’s doing very well,” Trump said. He added that he felt perfect and did not feel the need to travel to the state. The senator is running for reelection against Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton.

In a Friday morning interview with a Kansas City radio station, Trump called Marshall fantastic and credited him for pushing administration policies that benefit Kansas farmers. Those policies include expanding the tax-free use of red-dyed diesel. The president criticized Hamilton, a Methodist pastor, as a radical who has caused turmoil in the church due to his liberal views. Hamilton previously stated that if Jesus were present, Marshall would likely call him woke.

Vice President JD Vance also adjusted his travel plans for the final days of the campaign. Vance traveled to Kansas earlier this week to stump for Marshall. He had planned to hold a news conference in St. Cloud, Minnesota, on Friday to discuss anti-fraud efforts. A person with knowledge of his schedule said Vance canceled that event due to a scheduling change. He had also flown to Iowa in September to campaign with House candidates.

The shifting plans reflect the pace of the final days of the midterm campaign. Trump promised a marathon of rallies at the start of October to support Republican candidates. He has headlined 25 of those events so far this month. The election has centered on affordability issues and the president’s favorability ratings. Republicans are working to retain their majorities in Congress as the voting period approaches.