Trump and Vance cancel events in final days of midterm campaign
Trump scrapped weekend rallies in Kansas and Iowa in favour of tele-rallies, while Vance called off a Minnesota news conference days before Tuesday's elections.
At a glance
- Trump cancelled weekend rallies in Kansas and Iowa and will hold tele-rallies instead.
- The RNC says Trump will reach at least 19 states in a 72-hour sprint before Tuesday's elections.
- Vance called off a Friday news conference in St. Cloud, Minnesota, for reasons that remain unclear.
President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance cancelled several planned appearances across three states in the closing days of a midterm campaign that could see Republicans lose control of Congress.
Trump called off two weekend rallies in Kansas and Iowa and will instead hold a flurry of tele-rallies, addressing voters by phone. The Republican National Committee said the president would reach at least 19 states in a "72-hour sprint" before Tuesday's elections.
The cancelled stops were part of a midterm blitz in which Trump said he would travel to 35 locations to boost Republican turnout. He had been scheduled to appear in Kansas on Saturday and Iowa on Sunday.
"Voters across the country want to hear from President Trump before Election Day, and this 72-hour sprint will be a huge boost in the closing days," RNC Chairman Joe Gruters said in a statement.
Strain on the trail
Trump has campaigned at 25 rallies this month and has acknowledged the strain of a dense schedule of back-to-back events. Sounding hoarse in Corinth, Mississippi, on Monday, he said: "God didn't make your vocal cords to do a rally every day."
On Thursday, after campaigning for Senator Darline Graham in Rock Hill, South Carolina, Trump snapped at a Reuters reporter who asked how he felt after weeks of rallies and whether he was tired of travelling. "You've been following me for two weeks," said Trump, 80. "I feel perfect."
Hours later the same day, Vance also called off a Friday news conference in St. Cloud, Minnesota, on the administration's "War on Fraud," though the reason for the cancellation remains unclear. Vance, who leads the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, had been scheduled to appear with other members of the task force to make an announcement on the effort, according to the White House.
Democrats favoured
The scrapped appearance came as Trump's approval rating has fallen to historic lows amid growing frustration over high gasoline prices and the prolonged war with Iran.
Forecasters and prediction markets see the Democrats favoured to sweep Congress, flipping both the House and the Senate. The NBC News average of national polls showed 52% of surveyed Americans preferred Democratic control of Congress, compared with 43% who favoured Republican control.
Trump is still scheduled to hold a rally in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Friday, and no events have been announced for Monday, the final day of the campaign.
Source: CNBC.
Questions and answers
- Why did Trump cancel his Kansas and Iowa rallies?
- Trump cancelled the two weekend rallies and replaced them with tele-rallies, addressing voters by phone. The RNC said he would reach at least 19 states in a 72-hour sprint before Tuesday's elections.
- Why did JD Vance cancel his Minnesota event?
- Vance called off a Friday news conference in St. Cloud, Minnesota, on the administration's "War on Fraud." The source reports the reason for the cancellation remains unclear.
- Who is favoured to win the midterm elections?
- Forecasters and prediction markets see Democrats favoured to sweep Congress, flipping both the House and Senate. An NBC News poll average showed 52% preferred Democratic control versus 43% for Republicans.
