Midterms 2026 · Report · File No. 261030-973
Trump and Vance cancel rallies in three states in final days of midterms
President Trump scrapped weekend rallies in Kansas and Iowa and Vice President JD Vance called off a Minnesota event, leaving down-ballot Republicans without their biggest draw as Democrats are favored to win Congress.
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President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance canceled several planned appearances across three states in the final days of a midterm campaign that could see Republicans lose control of Congress, CNBC reported Friday 1.
Trump canceled 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 1.
The canceled 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 1.
RNC Chairman Joe Gruters cast the shift as a plus. "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," he said in a statement 1.
From Channel GOPTrump insults NBC reporter over abuse allegations questionDonald Trump · 169 plays · captioned, with the source named
Trump has campaigned at 25 rallies this month and acknowledged the strain following a dense schedule of back-to-back rallies. Sounding hoarse in Corinth, Mississippi, on Monday, he said: "God didn't make your vocal cords to do a rally every day" 1.
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 traveling. "You've been following me for two weeks," Trump, 80, said. "I feel perfect" 1.
Hours later on 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, was scheduled to appear with other members to make an announcement on the effort, according to the White House 1.
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 1.
Forecasters and prediction markets see the Democrats favored to sweep Congress, flipping both the House and Senate blue. The NBC News average of national polls showed 52% of surveyed Americans preferred Democratic control of Congress, compared with 43% who favored Republican control 1.
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 1.
Why it matters
That matters because the president has been the party's main turnout engine this fall, and the RNC is now promising phone contact instead of rallies in two states where Senate races are close 1. The pattern is a defensive close: the candidate at the top of the ticket is stepping back from the stage in the final days before the vote, while his party's poll numbers trail 1.
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
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The Record
- Trump, hoarse in Corinth, Mississippi, says vocal cords were not made to do a rally every day 1
- Trump tells a Reuters reporter in South Carolina he feels perfect; hours later Vance calls off his Minnesota news conference 1
- Trump cancels Kansas and Iowa rallies for tele-rallies; RNC promises a 72-hour sprint reaching at least 19 states 1
Sources
- CNBC, “Trump, Vance scrap planned appearances in final stretch of midterm campaign” (2026-10-30). cnbc.com/2026/10/30/trump-vance-rally-midterm-elections-.htm
- CBS News, “Live Updates: Trump campaigns in South Carolina and more” (2026-10-29). cbsnews.com/live-updates/2026-elections-midtems-house-senate
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