Trump returns to Iowa and Kansas as early voting numbers climb

Voters in Iowa and Kansas will see the president at a physical rally on Sunday instead of a televised phone-in event. This change occurs while early voting totals across the country rise sharply ahead of the midterm elections. The schedule shift places Trump in two states that hold key seats in the Senate race.

According to a person familiar with the plans, Trump will hold back-to-back rallies in the two states this weekend. Both events had been canceled earlier in the week. The original itinerary had him in Salina, Kansas, on Saturday and Dubuque, Iowa, on Sunday. The new plan moves the Iowa stop to Cedar Rapids. The Kansas rally remains part of the schedule, though specific details on its new location were not provided in the latest updates.

The reversal follows a surge in advance voting. An Associated Press analysis shows nearly 10 million more Americans cast ballots five days before Election Day compared to the same period in 2022. The increase is most visible in states with competitive Senate races. In Iowa and Kansas, early voting is up roughly 30 percent from the 2022 benchmark.

Trump addressed the initial cancellation on Thursday while returning to Washington from South Carolina. He rejected the idea that fatigue or health concerns caused the change. “I’m not going to Kansas because he’s doing very well,” Trump said, referring to Senator Roger Marshall. He added that he feels perfect and does not feel he has to go to Kansas.

The Republican National Committee initially announced that telerallies would replace the in-person events. The committee said the phone rallies would allow the president to reach more voters nationwide. However, the latest information indicates the in-person rallies have been rearranged to fit the new telerallies into the schedule. Trump had promised a marathon of rallies at the start of the month to support Republican candidates. He has headlined 25 such events so far in October.

Both Kansas and Iowa are battlegrounds that will determine if Republicans keep their narrow Senate majority. Trump visited both states earlier in the month to support Marshall and Iowa Senate candidate Ashley Hinson. In a Friday interview with a Kansas City radio station, Trump called Marshall fantastic. He credited the senator for pushing policies like expanding tax-free use of red-dyed diesel for farmers.

The race in Kansas pits Marshall against Methodist pastor Adam Hamilton. Trump labeled Hamilton a radical who has caused turmoil in the church. Hamilton responded by saying that if Jesus stood before them now, Marshall would call him woke. In Iowa, Hinson faces a Democratic opponent in a race that has drawn national attention.

Early voting trends vary by state. In Texas, more than 6.3 million Texans had voted early as of Wednesday. That figure is up 50 percent from the same point four years ago. In Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, and Kansas, advance voting is also up more than 30 percent. South Carolina, which is choosing a successor to the late Senator Lindsey Graham, sees an 83 percent increase in early ballots.

Money flows into this year's midterm campaigns at historic levels. Republicans worry that high costs and dissatisfaction with the president might suppress their turnout. Democrats have focused their messaging on affordability. In Michigan, a separate drama involving Democratic Senatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed and former rival Haley Stevens continues to dominate local headlines. Stevens recently criticized El-Sayed’s advertising and past rhetoric on social media.