President Donald Trump on Thursday canceled weekend rallies in Kansas and Iowa, opting instead for short phone "telerallies" days before Tuesday's midterm elections, CTV News reported.
The Republican National Committee said the switch would maximize Trump's ability to speak to voters nationwide. CNN reported that the decision took even Republicans by surprise. It comes in a contest that could cost the GOP control of Congress.
The change has raised three competing explanations: wider reach, the president's health, and doubts about whether his appearances help Republican candidates. Some Republican operatives in the two states welcomed it. "He hasn't moved the needle anywhere," one top Republican official told CNN, speaking on condition of anonymity to avoid alienating the White House.
How Trump telerallies will work in the midterms' final days
Trump had been scheduled to hold a rally in Kansas on Saturday and in Iowa on Sunday. According to CTV News, the RNC announced Thursday evening that he would instead spend what it called a 72-hour sprint doing rallies by phone.
The RNC said telerallies are planned for nearly 20 states and that more may be announced. The same CTV News report elsewhere said the calls could reach voters in nearly two dozen states. The party has not said which states will be covered.
The format is much shorter. CTV News reported that Trump is expected to speak for about 10 minutes at each telerally. At in-person events he speaks for more than 90 minutes.
Trump still plans to hold a rally in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Friday. It is not clear whether he will hold more in-person events after that. The White House has not published his schedule for Monday, the final day of the campaign.
Why did Trump cancel the Kansas and Iowa rallies?
The explanations depend on who is speaking.
The RNC described the change as a way to reach more voters. Trump said he did not need to travel to Kansas, where Republican Sen. Roger Marshall faces Democrat Adam Hamilton. He said this was because Marshall is doing very well, CTV News reported.
The move was an abrupt departure from Trump's pledge to push through the last days of the campaign with rally after rally. As of Thursday, he had held 25 rallies in October, according to CTV News. He had once set a goal of more than 30. This month he has also held rallies in smaller venues than many he once filled.
There were signs that the travel and long speeches had taken a toll. On Monday in Corinth, Mississippi, Trump, whose voice has grown raspy, told the crowd: "God didn't make your vocal cords to do a rally every day."
On Thursday a reporter asked whether he had canceled the Kansas trip because of his health. Trump bristled. "You've been following me for two weeks. I feel perfect," he said, according to CTV News.
A campaign strategist with Republican Senate leadership told CTV News there was widespread curiosity about why the schedule was changing to telerallies. The strategist spoke on condition of anonymity to share the content of private conversations.
Some in the party pointed to practical benefits. A second Republican official told CNN the rallies took too much time during a peak period. Activists would otherwise be knocking on doors, canvassing and doing other get-out-the-vote work. The same official told CNN that everyone who wants to see the president has already seen him.
Trump has visited nearly every state on the Senate battleground map except Maine, many of them more than once, CNN reported. The network said the cancellations caused considerable buzz but few complaints among party stalwarts.
Which Senate races are closest in the 2026 midterm elections?
The schedule change comes as Republicans defend ground they have rarely had to contest in recent years. CTV News reported that the election year has been shaped by voter frustration with the economy, gas prices and the war in Iran.
According to CTV News, the races drawing the closest attention include:
- Tight contests for Republicans in Texas, Kansas, Ohio, Iowa and Alaska
- South Carolina, where Republican Darline Graham faces Democrat Annie Andrews
- Mississippi, where both parties are closely following the Senate race
Trump traveled to South Carolina on Thursday, his second visit in a month. CTV News described the trip as a sign of Republican anxiety about Graham's race. She is the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham. Gov. Henry McMaster appointed her in July after her brother's sudden death, and she became the party's nominee in August. South Carolina has not sent a Democrat to the Senate in nearly three decades.
In Alaska, Sen. Dan S. Sullivan is on the ballot alongside Daniel J. Sullivan, a retired teacher. Citing sources, CNN reported that the Justice Department has accelerated a criminal probe into whether Alaska Democrats tried to confuse voters by recruiting the second candidate. More subpoenas are expected. Several Anchorage voters told CNN the controversy is not changing their vote.
Early voting data points to strong youth turnout for Democrats. CNN reported that Democrats lead Republicans by 31 points in turnout among voters younger than 30. That is a 20-point increase from the same point two years ago.
What a Republican loss would mean for control of Congress
The outcome on Tuesday will decide whether Republicans keep control of Congress. CTV News reported that the midterms could cost the GOP that control.
Trump projected confidence as he returned to the White House on Thursday. "We're going to have a strong Tuesday night," he said.
Democrats offered a different reading. According to CTV News, Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate candidate in Michigan, said Thursday night that Trump had given up. El-Sayed, who faces Republican Mike Rogers in a tight race, said the president now understands he has fully lost the midterms for his party.
After Friday's Daytona Beach rally, the remaining open questions are which states the RNC adds to the telerally list and what Trump will do on Monday. The White House has not yet released that schedule.