WASHINGTON — President Trump will hold a pair of pre-midterm campaign rallies in Kansas and Iowa this coming weekend after all, having initially canceled them as he fights to keep Republican control of Congress.
“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 Friday.
“The rallies were rearranged for scheduling purposes to accommodate dozens of additional tele-rallies that were recently added to the President’s schedule.”
Word that the rallies had been canceled triggered fevered speculation about the fate of Republican Senate candidates in the two midwestern states, with polls showing Democratic candidates running strong races against Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) and Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa).
Trump is still scheduled to hold 19 tele-rallies on Saturday, with the in-person rallies to be held Sunday.
The president has followed a punishing schedule of events ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms, holding a rally almost every day in October.
His original plan for the weekend had him in Salina, Kansas, on Saturday and in Dubuque, Iowa, on Sunday.
Then, his schedule became a 72-hour sprint of tele-rallies.
The president could reach more voters that way, the Republican National Committee said at the time when explaining the schedule changes.
It’s common for schedules to fluctuate in the final days of a political campaign as the dynamics of a race change and new polling is revealed. Republicans will want the president in places he can make the biggest difference, particularly when it comes to rallying his MAGA faithful to get out and vote.
The RealClearPolitics polling average has the Iowa Senate contest in a dead heat and has Democrat Adam Hamilton slightly ahead in Kansas.
Both contests are crucial to Republican efforts to maintain control of the Senate. And Trump has already been in those states over the past few weeks, touting Marshall’s bid in Kansas and Hinson’s in Iowa.
It’s been a deeply contentious midterm cycle. The Trump administration has been pushing its accomplishments in manufacturing and noting the strong job market while Democrats have countered by pointing to the high cost of living and high gas prices.
Democrats have sent out its own slate of high-profile surrogates: Former President Barack Obama, former President Bill Clinton and former Vice President Kamala Harris have been rallying for candidates across the country.
President Trump has headlined 25 rallies so far in October, per the Associated Press. He’s expected to hold more on Monday and then spend Election Day at the White House.
Trump cast his own ballot last weekend, voting in Florida with first lady Melania Trump.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
