Early Voting Up 30% in Iowa, Trump Reverses Cancellation
The president added rallies in Cedar Rapids and Salina to his schedule after a surge in advance ballots was reported.
By Trevor Wilson ·
President Donald Trump has reinstated two campaign rallies in Iowa and Kansas for this Sunday. The events had been removed from his itinerary earlier in the week. A person familiar with the plans said the change allows the president to appear in person rather than via telerally.
According to an Associated Press analysis, nearly 10 million more Americans had cast ballots five days before Election Day than at the same point in 2022. In Iowa and Kansas, early voting is up roughly 30 percent. Both states host competitive Senate races that will determine if Republicans keep their narrow majority in the chamber.
The shift in schedule follows a public dispute about the president's health. On Thursday, Trump told a reporter that he was not originally going to Kansas because Republican Senator Roger Marshall is doing very well. He stated that he feels perfect and does not feel he has to go.
The Republican National Committee initially announced that Trump would conduct a 72-hour sprint of phone rallies to reach more voters nationwide. That plan has now been rearranged. The Iowa rally will take place in Cedar Rapids instead of the originally planned Dubuque. The Kansas rally remains scheduled for Salina.
Trump has headlined 25 rallies in October so far. He visited both states earlier this month to support Marshall and Iowa Senate candidate Ashley Hinson. In a Friday interview with a Kansas City radio station, Trump called Marshall fantastic and credited him with expanding tax-free use of red-dyed diesel for farmers.
Voting trends in other states show similar spikes. More than 6.3 million Texans had voted early as of Wednesday, a 50 percent increase over the same point four years ago. South Carolina, where voters are selecting a successor to late Senator Lindsey Graham, saw early voting rise by 83 percent.
Next, Trump is scheduled to appear in Cedar Rapids and Salina on Sunday. In Michigan, Democratic Representative Haley Stevens released a statement criticizing her primary opponent, Abdul El-Sayed, after appearing on television to call for him to address concerns among Jewish and Black voters.
Hamilton, the Democratic challenger to Marshall in Kansas, said that if Jesus were standing before them now, Marshall would call him woke. Trump described Hamilton as a radical who has caused turmoil with the church because he is so liberal.
Source: WKMG-TV
