Trump reverse course on rallies after saying he had no reason to campaign despite poll concerns

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump has reversed course on his decision to cancel two in-person rallies to campaign for Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall as he lashed out over a question about why they were nixed in the first place.

The reversal comes a day after Trump announced he would shift to tele-rallies in battleground seats Kansas and Iowa, despite rising poll concerns.

Trump restores in-person rallies in key battleground states after cancelling them

Amid speculation about the president’s reason for scaling back his midterm travel schedule, the White House confirmed on Friday, October 30, that Trump would hold in-person rallies in Kansas and Iowa on Sunday, November 1.

Sources familiar with the development told The Hill that the rallies were rearranged for scheduling purposes to accommodate dozens of additional tele-rallies recently added to the president’s schedule.

The Kansas rally was initially scheduled for Saturday and Iowa for Sunday. Both will now be held on Sunday, Nov 1.

The president will now be campaigning in Salina, Kansas, and Dubuque, Iowa, this weekend.

The president will also visit Daytona Beach, Florida, on Friday. Reuters reported that he had held 25 campaign events since October 1 and was expected to take part in nearly 20 "tele-rallies" over the weekend.

Trump lashed out at reporter over questions about cancelled rallies

On Thursday, Oct 29, Trump lashed out at Reuters White House correspondent Jacob Bogage after the reporter asked whether the weekend rallies were canceled because he was “sick of traveling.”

Trump called the reporter “sick” and “out of shape” and said he was skipping Kansas because Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan) was doing well in his race.

"You know what the reason is? I don't feel I have to go to Kansas. I'm going to Florida tomorrow," Trump responded when asked about the cancellation.

Iowa and Kansas are among the key battleground states in this midterm election cycle, with Republicans facing competitive races amid concerns over Trump's approval ratings and his handling of the economy.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report has rated both races as toss-ups.

Roger Marshall defends Trump cancelling rally

Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall (R) defended President Trump's decision to cancel his rally in the state, saying he could win without a visit from the president.

“I think that I’m doing so well in the polls that he’s got, probably got better places to spend his time,” Marshall told reporters Thursday when asked for his reaction to the president canceling his visit to the Sunflower State.

A survey from Emerson College released this week found Marshall’s opponent, Democratic candidate Adam Hamilton, slightly leading the race. The poll found that 49% of likely voters supported Hamilton, compared with 45% who backed Marshall.