WASHINGTON (AP) – Like early voting increases across the country, the president Donald Trump is revamping his weekend schedule to rally Republicans in two states with crucial Senate elections, underscoring his party’s desire to increase turnout before Election Day.
The Republican president will now visit Iowa And Kansas for back-to-back campaign rallies on Sunday. Both events had already been canceled following a series of telerallies, but Trump said he then received calls from “my friends” in those states and “they said, ‘If you can go, you’d be better than a telerally.'”
This last-minute turnaround comes as Americans actively engage in early voting. Nearly 10 million more Americans voted five days before Election Day compared to the same time in 2022, according to an Associated Press analysis of voting data. The increases were particularly pronounced in states with competitive Senate elections, including Iowa and Kansas, where early voting increased by about 30%.
Democrats and Republicans each hope their gains will work in their favor as they battle for control of Congress in an election that was largely decided. affordability issues And the unpopularity of the president. Earlier this month, Trump promised a marathon sprint of his signature rallies in support of Republican candidates, and he has already headlined 25 in October. On Friday evening, he was scheduled to hold a rally in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Weekend resumes after Trump says ‘I don’t feel obligated to go’
The president on Thursday furiously rejected the idea that the initial cancellation of his rally in Kansas, which became public as he returned to Washington from a campaign event in South Carolina, was linked to fatigue or his health. He attacked a reporter who asked him about the change in his plans for Kansas, where Republican Senator Roger Marshall is seeking re-election.
“I’m not going to Kansas because he’s doing great,” Trump said, appearing to refer to Marshall. The president added: “I feel perfect.”
Trump’s original plans called for him to be in Salina, Kansas, on Saturday and Dubuque, Iowa, on Sunday. SO plans have changed instead, he would organize a “72-hour sprint” of telephone rallies, intended to allow the president to reach more voters across the country, according to the Republican National Committee.
The president’s schedule remained in flux Friday. His appearance in Iowa was moved from Dubuque to Cedar Rapids, only for him to be scheduled to return to Dubuque a few hours later, according to a person familiar with the scheduling who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The Republican National Committee later confirmed that Trump would campaign in Dubuque, Iowa, and Salina, Kansas.
Both Kansas and Iowa are home to Senate races that will help determine whether Republicans maintain their slim House majorities in the midterm elections.
Trump has already visited both states this month to support Marshall in Kansas and the Republican Senate candidate in Iowa. Ashley Hinsonwho currently sits in the House.
Trump told a Kansas City radio station Friday that Marshall was “fantastic” and credited the senator for pushing his administration to enact policies benefiting Kansas farmers, such as expanding the tax-free use of red-dyed diesel.
Trump criticized Marshall’s Democratic challenger, Methodist Pastor Adam Hamiltonas a “radical” who has “caused trouble within the Church because he is so liberal.” Hamilton said that if Jesus stood before them now, “Roger Marshall would call him ‘woke.’ »
Both parties hope an increase in votes will go in their favor
Early voting is significantly faster than the last midterm elections, with millions more Americans voting early.
In Texas, As voters decide closely watched Senate, House and gubernatorial elections, more than 6.3 million Texans cast early ballots Wednesday, up from 4.2 million at the same time four years ago, a 50% increase.
Early voting has also increased by more than 30% from the same point four years ago in Maine, Michigan, North Carolina And KansasStates with competitive Senate races. In South Carolina, where voters choose a successor to the late Republican senator. Lindsey Grahamearly voting is up 83%.
Historic amounts of money were pumped into this year’s midterm elections. Republicans have expressed concern that their voters are not mobilizing amid voter dissatisfaction with Trump and high costsissues that Democrats have focused on in their campaigns.
In Michigan Senate race, bad Democrat remains in headlines
Michigan Democrats hoped to put a deadly senatorial primary behind them after progressive Abdul El-Sayed narrowly defeated Rep. Haley Stevens in August.
They weren’t so lucky as Election Day approached.
Stevens reemerged in the final week before the general election, appearing on CNN to reaffirm that she would vote for El-Sayed while calling on him to repair relations with Jewish and black voters. Her appearance came hours after her fiancé said he would vote for El-Sayed’s Republican opponent, Mike Rogers.
Then on Friday, after agreeing to campaign alongside El-Sayed and Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina in Detroit on Sunday, Stevens released a lengthy statement on social media once again criticizing her former rival. She called on him to condemn an ad linking U.S. support for Israel to rising food prices and address concerns over his past rhetoric.
“Abdul promises to get money out of politics,” Stevens wrote. “He can start by getting Israel out of his explanation for everything Michigan can’t afford. »
El-Sayed apologized for some of his past comments as he tried to unify Democrats.
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Associated Press writer Meg Kinnard contributed to this report. Follow AP coverage of the 2026 midterm elections at https://apnews.com/hub/elections.
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