Trump swaps in-person rallies for phone events in Kansas and Iowa
The president will spend the final 72 hours before the election speaking to voters in nearly 20 states by phone, according to the Republican National Committee.
By Dominic Foster ·
President Donald Trump canceled in-person rallies scheduled for Iowa and Kansas on Friday. The Republican National Committee announced the change on Thursday evening. Trump will instead hold telerallies by phone over the next 72 hours.
The RNC stated that the phone events will reach voters in nearly 20 states. More states may be added. The party said the format allows Trump to address a larger audience in the final days before the Nov. 3 election.
The decision comes as Republicans face tight races in several states. Democrats are leading in Iowa, where the party has not controlled the governor’s mansion since 2010. In Kansas, Democrat Adam Hamilton is challenging incumbent Republican Sen. Roger Marshall.
A person familiar with the campaign’s internal strategy said the team felt confident about Marshall’s position in Kansas. The telerally format requires Trump to speak for about 10 minutes. At in-person rallies, he typically speaks for more than 90 minutes.
Trump denied that illness played a role in the change of plans. He said he was not traveling to Kansas because Marshall is performing well in the race. “I don’t feel I have to go to Kansas,” Trump said. He plans to travel to Florida on Friday.
On Thursday, Trump visited South Carolina for the second time in a month. He campaigned for Republican Sen. Darline Graham, who is running for a full term. Graham was appointed to the seat in July after the death of her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham. She won the Republican nomination in August.
Graham faces Democrat Annie Andrews in a race that has Republicans on alert. South Carolina has not sent a Democrat to the Senate in nearly 30 years. Andrews, a pediatrician, told voters in Fort Mill that they can remove her from office in six years if they are unhappy with her work.
Trump also addressed other state races during his South Carolina speech. He focused on Alaska, where the Justice Department issued new grand jury subpoenas related to the Senate race. Trump called the situation a conspiracy and suggested Democrat Mary Peltola should be removed from the ballot. In Iowa, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Rob Sand asked voters to vote now to avoid regret later.
