Trump cancels Kansas and Iowa rallies for virtual events

President Donald Trump has canceled two in-person campaign rallies scheduled for the weekend ahead of the midterm elections, opting instead to hold virtual events. The cancellations affect appearances in Salina, Kansas, and Dubuque, Iowa.

According to the Republican Party, the president was previously scheduled to rally supporters in Salina, Kansas, on Saturday to aid the reelection bid of U.S. Senator Roger Marshall. This event was described as one of the final stops in his packed schedule of midterm campaigning. Trump has repeatedly claimed his rallies have been boosting Republican candidates, despite polling that suggests they have not.

In a separate move, Trump canceled a rally originally scheduled for Dubuque, Iowa. He plans to replace this in-person gathering with a virtual event. These decisions come as Republican anxiety rises in key Senate races. The president was in South Carolina for the second time in a month on Thursday, lending support to Darline Graham in her Senate race against a Democrat.

The cancellations occur days before the midterm vote, with Trump holding one of his last rallies before Election Day. While the administration has taken other actions, such as canceling some Canada tariffs amid close midterm races, the focus on campaign logistics remains prominent. The shift to virtual events in Kansas and Iowa marks a change in the president's traditional in-person campaigning strategy during this critical period of the election cycle.