Trump cancels Kansas and Iowa rallies before midterms

A CNN YouTube video titled "What sources say about Trump's last-minute rally cancellations," The channel's description says the clip has Kaitlan Collins detailing White House reporting on President Donald Trump's cancellation of Kansas and Iowa rallies days before the midterms, with Laura Coates and Audie Cornish then turning to panels of political pundits on the surprise move.

Trump canceled the rallies Thursday. The Republican National Committee announced Friday afternoon that both were back on for Sunday, November 1, in Salina, Kansas, and Dubuque, Iowa. Less than 24 hours separated the scrapping and the reinstatement.

A source familiar with the plans said Friday: “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. No one works harder, fights harder, or loves the American people more than President Donald J. Trump!” The same source added that the rallies “were rearranged for scheduling purposes to accommodate nearly 20 additional tele-rallies that were recently added to the President’s schedule.”

An adviser put it this way: “He wants to be out with his people. No one does a rally quite like him, and that’s how he wanted to close out the cycle.” Asked Thursday why he was skipping Kansas support for Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, Trump told reporters: “Because I think he’s doing well. We’re going to do a tele-rally for him instead. He’s doing, he’s doing very well.” One of the sources later said the White House is “feeling bullish about both states, but it’s about giving the people what they want.”

A reporter pressed whether the Kansas cancellation was tied to Trump’s health. Trump answered the journalist: “You’ve been following me for two weeks. I feel perfect. You are disgusting. Put yourself in shape. You look like hell.” He canceled the Iowa rally hours after that exchange. Trump has said “God didn’t make your vocal cords to do a rally every day.” He has campaigned at 25 rallies in the past month and has said he plans to travel to 35 places total in the midterm blitz. He also scheduled a Friday event in Daytona Beach, Florida, for Rep. Randy Fine and Sen. Ashley Moody. No events have been announced for Monday.

The Kansas Senate race sits as a toss-up in a state that has not elected a Democrat to the Senate in nearly a century. The rescheduled Iowa stop falls in the contested 2nd Congressional District. An operative said: “A tele-rally will be helpful in boosting turnout, but an in-person rally would have been really helpful.”