On the last Thursday of October, at a military air base outside Washington, a president who has spent the past month crisscrossing the country was asked whether the grind had finally caught up with him. His answer, that he feels perfect, arrived alongside a quieter shift: two weekend rallies in the Plains were called off, and the campaign's reach would now travel by telephone rather than by foot. It is a familiar moment in democratic politics, when the sheer physical labor of persuasion meets the limits of a body and a calendar, and when the outcome that matters most is still days away and sti
Trump Cancels Weekend Rallies in Kansas and Iowa, Will Phone In to Midterm Events Instead
"I feel perfect," he said, as two weekend rallies came off the calendar
Mark
Why does canceling two rallies matter this close to the election?
Mimi
Because both states have tight races. Kansas has Senator Roger Marshall in an unexpectedly competitive contest with Adam Hamilton, and Iowa has several competitive congressional races.
Luke
But we should be careful. The reporting doesn't say the cancellations reflect any assessment of those races. Trump's stated reason about Kansas is that he doesn't feel he has to go.
Mark
What did he actually say about his health?
Mimi
He said he feels perfect. But on Monday in Mississippi he sounded hoarse and said vocal cords weren't made for a rally every day.
Luke
Right, and nobody has confirmed that fatigue or his voice caused the change. That's an inference a reader could draw, not something stated.
Mark
How big was the travel run?
Mimi
Twenty-five rallies in 19 states since October 1, often in rural, Republican-friendly areas.
Mark
And what replaces the lost events?
Mimi
Tele-rallies organized by MAGA Inc in at least 19 states, including Kansas and Iowa. He's still expected in Florida on Friday.
Luke
The report doesn't say how the tele-rallies will work or how many people they'll reach. That's unknown.
Der Puls
- Two weekend rallies in Kansas and Iowa were scrapped just days before a midterm vote that could decide control of Congress.
- A president who has held 25 rallies in 19 states since October 1 is openly hoarse and tired, yet insists he feels perfect.
- A close Senate race in Kansas is being left without a planned in-person push, and the president brushes off the risk with confidence.
- The campaign is shifting to tele-rallies in at least 19 states, while a Florida rally on Friday remains on the schedule as Tuesday approaches.
On the last Thursday of October, at a military air base outside Washington, a president who has spent the past month crisscrossing the country was asked whether the grind had finally caught up with him. His answer, that he feels perfect, arrived alongside a quieter shift: two weekend rallies in the Plains were called off, and the campaign's reach would now travel by telephone rather than by foot. It is a familiar moment in democratic politics, when the sheer physical labor of persuasion meets the limits of a body and a calendar, and when the outcome that matters most is still days away and still uncertain.
On Thursday, October 29, President Donald Trump stood at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland and was asked by a Reuters reporter whether weeks of rallies had worn him down. He brushed the question aside. "I feel perfect," he said, and the exchange marked the day his campaign schedule began to shrink.
Trump canceled two planned weekend stops, a Saturday rally in Salina, Kansas, and a Sunday rally in Dubuque, Iowa. Allies said he would instead phone in to events across the country. Later, the Republican National Committee confirmed it was also dropping the Iowa event, which matters because the state hosts several competitive House races. The cancellations followed four weeks of travel meant to strengthen Republican prospects before Tuesday's midterms.
In Kansas, a Senate contest has grown unexpectedly close, with Republican Senator Roger Marshall facing Democrat Adam Hamilton. Asked about the state, Trump said he did not "feel like I have to go," and insisted Marshall was doing very well. "We are going to have a strong Tuesday night," he said.
The toll of the schedule has been visible. Hoarse in Mississippi earlier in the week, Trump had complained that "God didn't make your vocal cords to do a rally every day." On Thursday, after campaigning in South Carolina, he mocked the reporter who had asked how he was holding up.
The in-person effort is not vanishing. MAGA Inc, a Trump-aligned group, plans tele-rallies with the president in at least 19 states before Election Day, Kansas and Iowa among them, and he is still expected in Florida on Friday. The questions now are whether phone events can stand in for the canceled stops, and whether the Kansas race tightens before voters decide who controls the Senate and House.
On Thursday, October 29, standing at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland before boarding his motorcade back to the White House, President Donald Trump took a question from a Reuters reporter about whether weeks of rallies had worn him out. "You've been following me for two weeks," he said. "I feel perfect." The exchange came on the day his campaign schedule shrank.
Trump canceled two planned weekend stops: a Saturday rally in Salina, Kansas, and a Sunday rally in Dubuque, Iowa. His allies said that instead of appearing in person, he would phone in to rallies around the country. The cancellations come after four weeks of travel meant to improve Republicans' chances in Tuesday's midterm elections.
Asked about Kansas, Trump told reporters he did not "feel like I have to go to Kansas." The state has a race that has turned unexpectedly competitive: Senator Roger Marshall, a Republican, faces Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton. Trump brushed off any worry. "He is doing very well," he said of Marshall. "We are going to have a strong Tuesday night."
Later on Thursday, the Republican National Committee said in a statement that it was also canceling the planned Iowa rally. Iowa is home to several competitive congressional races.
The pace of the preceding weeks was heavy. Since October 1, Trump has hosted 25 rallies in 19 states, often speaking on behalf of his party in rural areas of Republican-friendly states. On the line Tuesday is whether Republicans keep their narrow control of the US Senate and the House of Representatives.
Trump has acknowledged the toll of the schedule, which has included speeches running more than an hour. Sounding hoarse in Mississippi on Monday, he said, "God didn't make your vocal cords to do a rally every day." On Thursday, after campaigning in South Carolina for Senator Darline Graham, he ridiculed the Reuters reporter who asked how he felt and whether he was sick of traveling.
The in-person campaign has not stopped entirely. MAGA Inc, a campaign funding group aligned with Trump, said Thursday it would host a series of "tele-rallies" with the president in at least 19 states before Election Day, Kansas and Iowa among them. Trump is still expected to travel to rallies in several states before Tuesday, including one in Florida on Friday.
What to watch is how the phone-in events stand in for the canceled stops in Kansas and Iowa, and whether the Marshall race tightens before voters go to the polls on Tuesday.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
I don't feel like I have to go to Kansas. Senator Marshall is doing very well, and we are going to have a strong Tuesday night.— President Donald Trump
God didn't make your vocal cords to do a rally every day.— President Donald Trump, in Mississippi on Monday
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