President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance have canceled several planned appearances in three states, in the final days of a midterm campaign that could see Republicans lose control of Congress.
Trump canceled two weekend rallies in Kansas and Iowa and will instead hold a series of tele-rallies, speaking to voters by phone. The Republican National Committee said the president would reach at least 19 states in a “72-hour sprint” before Tuesday’s election.
The canceled stops were part of a midterm blitz in which Trump said he would travel to 35 locations to increase Republican turnout. He was scheduled to appear in Kansas on Saturday and in Iowa on Sunday.
“Voters across the country want to hear from President Trump before Election Day, and this 72-hour sprint will be a huge boost going into the final days,” RNC Chairman Joe Gruters said in a statement.
Trump has campaigned at 25 rallies this month and acknowledged the tension following a dense schedule of back-to-back rallies. On Monday in Corinth, Mississippi, he said hoarsely, “God didn’t make your vocal cords to have a rally every day.”
On Thursday, after campaigning for Sen. Darline Graham in Rock Hill, South Carolina, Trump mocked a Reuters reporter who asked him how he was feeling after weeks of rallies and whether he was tired of traveling. “You’ve been following me for two weeks,” Trump, 80, said. “I feel perfect.”
Hours later that same day, Vance also canceled a news conference Friday in St. Cloud, Minnesota, on the administration’s “war on fraud,” although the reason for the cancellation remains unclear.
Vance, who heads the White House task force to root out fraud, was scheduled to appear with other members to make an announcement about the administration’s “war on fraud” effort, according to the White House.
The canceled appearance comes as Trump’s approval rating has fallen to an all-time low, amid growing frustration over high gas prices and the protracted war with Iran.
Forecasters and prediction markets see Democrats favored to sweep Congress, flipping the House and Senate blue. The NBC News national polling average showed that 52% of Americans surveyed preferred Democratic control of Congress, compared to 43% who favored Republican control.
Trump is still scheduled to hold a rally in Daytona Beach, Fla., on Friday, and no events have been announced for Monday, the final day of the campaign.
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