Trump Swaps Iowa and Kansas Rallies for Phone Events Before Midterms

President Donald Trump canceled two weekend campaign rallies, one in Kansas and one in Iowa, and said he will reach voters through tele-rallies instead, according to NBC News. The change comes as Republicans work to turn out voters in competitive midterm races.

Two White House officials told NBC News on Thursday that Trump aims to hold “more than 20” tele-rallies by Election Day. A tele-rally lets a candidate address supporters by phone rather than in person.

What changed in the president's schedule

The Kansas and Iowa stops were part of a planned midterm blitz in which Trump said he would travel to 35 places across the country to help Republican candidates. According to NBC News, the president has held 25 rallies in the past month.

The Saturday event in Iowa was to take place in Dubuque, in the contested 2nd Congressional District. NBC News reported that all but one of the state's congressional races this year are competitive.

The Republican National Committee said in a news release that the rallies were canceled so Trump could speak to voters in more places across the country. Trump is still scheduled to appear in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Friday, where he will campaign for Republican Rep. Randy Fine and Sen. Ashley Moody. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates both of their races as solidly Republican. No events have been announced for Monday.

Why the Kansas race is drawing attention

In Kansas, Republican Sen. Roger Marshall is in a tight race with Democrat Adam Hamilton. NBC News reported that concerns over high costs connected to the war in Iran have helped turn the contest into a toss-up in a state that has not sent a Democrat to the Senate in nearly a century.

Trump said he did not “feel I have to go to Kansas,” adding that he believes Marshall is doing well. That is a shift in tone, NBC News noted, because Trump has repeatedly pointed to what he sees as the positive effect of his rallies on Republican candidates. He has even suggested that his visits to battleground states have lifted Republicans in the polls.

Questions about the president's health

Trump has acknowledged that the pace of the campaign has not been easy. On Monday, speaking in a hoarse voice, he said people are not built to do a rally every day, according to NBC News.

A reporter asked Thursday whether the Kansas cancellation was connected to his health. Trump said he felt perfect and responded sharply to the reporter, who had pressed him on the question. NBC News reported that he canceled the Iowa event hours after that exchange.

What this means for the midterm campaign

For Republican candidates in the affected states, the switch means a phone event in place of a visit from the president. Iowa Republican operatives who spoke to NBC News said the in-person rally would have helped. One operative said a tele-rally will help boost turnout but “an in-person rally would have been really helpful.” Another said he would love to have the president, but that Iowa is in pretty good shape.

For voters in Kansas and Iowa, the practical effect is that the president will not appear in their states this weekend. The campaign messages from the Republican side will instead come through phone calls, while the races themselves, including the toss-up Senate contest in Kansas, continue to be decided by the voters who turn out on Election Day.

What happens next

Trump heads to Florida on Friday. No events have been announced for Monday, and White House officials say the goal is more than 20 tele-rallies by Election Day.

Around Prague, based on reporting by NBC News