U.S. President Donald Trump has placed campaign stops in Kansas and Iowa back on his schedule for Sunday, November 1, just two days before the Tuesday, November 3 midterm elections. The sudden shift comes after the White House and the Republican National Committee (RNC) abruptly canceled both appearances on Thursday.
The initial schedule changes raised eyebrows among political observers as the Republican party faces intense pressure to maintain control of Congress. RNC officials previously stated on Thursday evening that the president would instead focus on a “72-hour sprint” featuring nearly 20 telephone rallies to maximize his reach across multiple battleground states in short 10-minute bursts.
When asked by reporters on Thursday whether the cancellations were due to health reasons, Trump rejected the notion, criticizing the inquiry before explaining that he felt Republican candidates were already performing strongly. “You know what the reason is? I don’t feel like I have to go to Kansas,” Trump told reporters, noting that incumbent GOP Senator Roger Marshall “is doing very well”.
However, a White House source confirmed the schedule reversal on Friday afternoon, explaining that the campaign managed to reconfigure the schedule to accommodate both the virtual outreach and live appearances.
“Rallies are BACK ON!” a campaign source said in a statement on Friday, confirming that President Trump will hold back-to-back in-person rallies in Kansas and Iowa on Sunday in addition to his tele-rally commitments.
The back-to-back Sunday appearances are aimed at bolstering key GOP campaigns across the region. In Kansas, Trump is set to campaign alongside Republican Senator Roger Marshall in his competitive race against Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton.
Moving on to Iowa, the president will appear in Dubuque alongside GOP Senate candidate Ashley Hinson and gubernatorial candidate Zach Lahn.
Ahead of Sunday’s double-header, Trump is scheduled to appear in person at a rally in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Friday night before heading into the final weekend sprint of the midterm campaign.
