Trump’s Kansas and Iowa Rallies Are Back On After Cancellation, Report Says

President Donald Trump will hold back-to-back rallies in Kansas and Iowa on Sunday after all, according to the New York Post, reversing a cancellation announced on Thursday that had shifted his weekend campaign plan to tele-rallies.

“Rallies are BACK ON! President Trump loves his supporters, and in addition to nearly 20 tele-rallies, he will hold back-to-back rallies in Kansas and Iowa on Sunday,” a source familiar with the planning told the Post on Friday. The source said the rallies were rearranged for scheduling purposes to fit in dozens of additional tele-rallies recently added to the president’s schedule.

What changed from the Thursday plan

Trump’s original plan for the weekend had him in Salina, Kansas, on Saturday and in Dubuque, Iowa, on Sunday, followed by a 72-hour sprint of tele-rallies, the Post reported. On Thursday night, the Republican National Committee said he would instead spend a 72-hour sprint doing tele-rallies rather than holding the in-person events.

Under the revised plan reported Friday, Trump is still scheduled to hold 19 tele-rallies on Saturday, which he is expected to spend at his Mar-a-Lago resort, the Post reported. The report did not name a venue for the Sunday rallies.

Word that the rallies had been canceled set off speculation about the Senate races in the two states, the Post reported, with polls showing Democrats running strong races against Senator Roger Marshall in Kansas and Representative Ashley Hinson in Iowa. The RealClearPolitics polling average has the Iowa Senate contest between Hinson and Democrat Josh Turek in a dead heat, while Democrat Adam Hamilton is running slightly ahead of Marshall in Kansas, according to the Post.

A final weekend before the midterms

Trump has headlined 25 rallies so far this month, according to Associated Press data cited by the Post. Democrats have sent out their own high-profile surrogates, including former President Barack Obama, former President Bill Clinton and former Vice President Kamala Harris, the Post reported.

Both Senate contests are central to Republican efforts to keep control of the Senate, the Post reported, and Trump has already visited both states in recent weeks. The administration has been pushing its economic record and pointing to strong job market and GDP figures, while Democrats have countered by pointing to the high cost of living and high gas prices, according to the Post. Trump cast his own ballot last weekend, voting early in Florida with first lady Melania Trump, the Post reported.

The midterm elections are on November 3 and will decide control of Congress for the next two years.

Reporting based on coverage by the New York Post.