Trump Cancels Kansas and Iowa Rallies, RNC Says He'll Do Tele-Rallies in 19 States Instead

The Republican National Committee said Thursday, Oct. 29, that President Trump's weekend rallies in Salina, Kansas, and Dubuque, Iowa, are canceled. In their place: what the RNC calls a "72-hour sprint" of tele-rallies.

The committee listed 19 states so far: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia. It said more could be added.

"Voters across the country want to hear from President Trump before Election Day, and this 72-hour sprint will be a huge boost in the closing days," RNC Chairman Joe Gruters said in a statement.

What changes on the schedule

Trump was due in Kansas on Saturday and Iowa on Sunday. Dubuque police were told Thursday evening that he wasn't coming.

A tele-rally is different. Trump is expected to speak for about 10 minutes, compared with more than 90 at an in-person event.

The Friday rally in Daytona Beach, Florida, is still on. Trump told reporters he plans to go.

The RNC said the cancellations reflect that Republicans are in a "strong position" in both Kansas and Iowa. It said virtual events let him reach more states than he could by plane.

Trump on the health question

A reporter asked Trump on Thursday whether he scrapped Kansas because of his health. He snapped back: "You've been following me for two weeks. I feel perfect."

On Kansas specifically, he said: "I don't feel I have to go to Kansas." Reporters took that as a reference to Sen. Roger Marshall, the Republican incumbent.

The health question had a hook. On Monday in Corinth, Mississippi, Trump, whose voice has grown raspy, told the crowd: "God didn't make your vocal cords to do a rally every day."

As of Thursday he had done 25 rallies in October. He once set a goal north of 30.

A person familiar with the operation, speaking anonymously about internal strategy, said Trump's team feels more optimistic about Republican prospects and is bullish on Kansas. A campaign strategist with Republican Senate leadership said there was widespread curiosity about why the schedule changed.

The polling in the two states

The numbers are tight. A CNN/SSRS survey released Thursday put Democrat Adam Hamilton ahead of Marshall by 4 points in Kansas. That lead is within the poll's margin of error.

In Iowa, an Emerson College/Nexstar poll has Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson ahead of Democrat Josh Turek by 2 points, also inside the margin of error. Hinson's support is down 3 points since September. Turek's has held steady.

Hinson has publicly broken with the administration over its tariffs and the war in Iran. Trump rallied with her in Sioux City last week.

Those are not the numbers of a campaign that can take two states off the board. Whether the RNC's "strong position" description matches what its own internal polling shows, the committee has not said.

The wider map

Trump spent Thursday in Rock Hill, South Carolina, his second visit to the state in a month. Democrat Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, is challenging the Republican incumbent. South Carolina has not sent a Democrat to the Senate in nearly three decades.

Associated Press reporting puts Republicans in tight contests in Texas, Kansas, Ohio, Iowa and Alaska, with both parties also watching Mississippi. The election is being shaped by voter frustration over the economy, gas prices and the war in Iran, according to the AP.

A Republican strategist told The Hill that Trump's October blitz is "about ensuring every MAGA vote possible comes out" despite declining GOP support, particularly in red strongholds.

Republicans hold 53 Senate seats and 218 House seats. Political forecasters have given Democrats the advantage this cycle, according to Al Jazeera's summary of the projections. Trump has said he worries Democrats would pursue a third impeachment if they win both chambers.

Back on the plane Thursday night, Trump said: "We're going to have a strong Tuesday night."

What's next

Daytona Beach is Friday. The tele-rally slate rolls out over the 72 hours the RNC described, with more states possible. The White House has not announced Trump's Monday schedule or where he will be on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3.