President Donald Trump has canceled his final two rallies before Election Day in Kansas and Iowa and lashed out at a reporter who asked if the decision related to his health.
“You are disgusting,” the president rebuked the Reuters journalist. “Put yourself in shape. You look like hell.”
Trump will instead hold a series of tele-rallies as midterms campaigning enters its final stages before voters go to the polls nationwide Tuesday.
Earlier Thursday, the president hosted a rally in South Carolina still stewing over Barack Obama’s jab comparing the White House to the Cheesecake Factory.
However, after his team posted an AI-generated photo of Trump smashing cake into Obama’s face, the president largely held back from further insults as he stumped for GOP Sen. Darline Graham.
Oddly, he used the event to address the Senate race in Michigan, telling Black and Jewish voters there they would be “crazy” to vote for that state’s Democratic candidate, Abdul El-Sayed, a Muslim.
Trump also joined first lady Melania Trump to give out candy to children at the annual White House Halloween party.
The couple greeted trick-or-treaters dressed up as dinosaurs, racecar drivers and bananas at the door of the executiove mansion.
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Trump’s approval rating is historically low for a president heading into the midterms
Key Points
- Donald Trump cancels weekend rallies days before midterm vote
- Trump rallies in South Carolina as GOP grows concerned over tight Senate race
- President and first lady kick off trick-or-treat at the White House
- FBI agents fear Trump team will order them to seize voting machines
- Nearly 40 million people have already voted in midterms
Watch: Trump talks ‘stupid presidents,’ Canada and Fred Astaire in South Carolina
10:00 , Joe SommerladHere are a few choice excerpts from the president’s appearance in Rock Hill, South Carolina, stumping for Sen. Darline Graham, who inherited her seat from her late brother Lindsey earlier this year.
Trump: We have had a lot of stupid presidents. pic.twitter.com/hoOQds6g6W
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 29, 2026
Trump: Canada is learning their lesson. pic.twitter.com/8rPBPmTtA1
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 29, 2026
Trump in South Carolina: "If you're Black or Jewish and if you vote for Abdul, you're crazy. You're crazy anyway." pic.twitter.com/OL7T7Kie4T
Trump: I've had wives tell me that they love their husband again. That's me that did it. pic.twitter.com/lIN0xLezrn
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 29, 2026
Trump: "How come we always take people from shithouse countries? Why can't we take people from good countries?" pic.twitter.com/QmOjSgOUmA
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 29, 2026
Trump: She hates when I dance. I'm not saying I'm Fred Astaire. Do you remember the late great Fred? He was like rubber pic.twitter.com/yKgf6UoTZr
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 29, 2026
In amongst the eccentric “weaving” on evidence above, Trump also played the hits – dusting off such favorite crowd-pleasers as “not understanding wind turbines” and “James Talarico secretly hates meat.”
Trump: "'Darling, let's watch the president debate Sleepy Joe Biden tonight.' And they say, 'No, I'm sorry, we can't. The wind isn't blowing, we have no electricity.'" pic.twitter.com/K3fViSlewS
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 29, 2026
Trump: "'I'd love to have steak!' *Huuuuuh. Huhh. Huhh* He's puking all over the place" pic.twitter.com/YqLNMiZVWW
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 29, 2026
Trump already crying ‘election fraud’ at home and abroad
09:30 , Joe SommerladIn addition to lashing out at the press again yesterday, the president was also busy pre-emptively accusing the left in California and Alaska of attempting to fix the outcome of Tuesday’s vote – and saying the same of Lula in Brazil, following his victory over the Trump-aligned Flavio Bolsonaro earlier this week.
Trump: "They have very very corrupt elections. If California were honest -- if they had an honest vote count -- I would have won it by a lot" pic.twitter.com/31R0L8FbsQ
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 29, 2026
Q: If Peltola wins, should Republicans refuse to seat her in January?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 29, 2026
TRUMP: It's hard to believe that she can even be allowed to run pic.twitter.com/PD25cW6tLJ
Q: Who in your mind is the legitimate winner of the Brazilian election?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 29, 2026
TRUMP: I don't want to comment, but I thought the election was a very great embarrassment to the people of Brazil pic.twitter.com/BdFBHV9pdn
Watch: Democrat says he knows why Trump is canceling his rallies
09:00 , Joe SommerladGeorgia Sen. Jon Ossoff, tipped by many as a possible presidential candidate in 2028, offered this suggestion as to why the president had abruptly dropped his upcoming engagements in Kansas and Iowa:
Ossoff on Trump canceling rallies: "I imagine they are canceling these to avoid the humiliation of empty seats and small crowds" pic.twitter.com/DBeUKsIYdI
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 30, 2026
Ossoff recently infuriated the White House by joking about Trump’s close relationship with his executive assistant Natalie Harp.
Full story: Trump cancels final Kansas and Iowa rallies before Election Day – and unloads on reporters asking about it
08:30 , Joe SommerladGood morning!
If you’re just joining us, President Donald Trump has canceled two late campaign trail appearances scheduled for the weekend before Election Day, opting instead for a series of tele-rallies as his party’s midterms prospets dim.
The president unloaded on a reporter who questioned why he canceled a Saturday appearance at a Kansas rally yesterday, one of his last appearances on the road following two weeks of near nightly events.
Trump, who appeared to be sweating as he briefly addressed reporters following his remarks at a campaign rally in South Carolina, called Reuters’ correspondent “disgusting” and “way out of shape” when he asked if the cancelations were because of his health.
“You are disgusting. Put yourself in shape. You look like hell.” — 😳 a demented Trump snaps at a reporter who asks him if he’s too unwell to go to Kansas on Saturday pic.twitter.com/B6RAg1jksz
Hours later, the president pulled out of Sunday’s rally in Iowa too.
Alex Woodward has the story.
Trump cancels Kansas and Iowa rallies — and unloads on reporter asking about it
Watch: Trump inexplicably decides to riff about Jeffrey Epstein in Ohio while stumping for midterms
07:59 , Rachel DobkinTrump can’t stop comparing his crowd size to Vance’s, insiders reveal
07:02 , Rhian LubinPresident Donald Trump has been comparing the size of his midterms rally crowds to the turnout at Vice President JD Vance’s events behind closed doors, according to insiders.
Trump and Vance are both in the midst of a MAGA midterms blitz to boost voter turnout as the Republicans look set for a difficult Election Day, according to the polls.
In recent days, amid a “grim” mood in the White House, Trump has been telling allies that Vance “has not drawn large numbers to events that he is headlining,” according to The New York Times. Both have been headlining events across the nation, but some pundits have noted they have been held in smaller arenas, or some seats have been empty.
Read on...
Trump can’t stop comparing his crowd size to Vance’s, insiders reveal
Watch: Trump and Melania greet Trick-or-Treaters at White House
06:03 , Rachel Dobkin.@POTUS and @FLOTUS welcome trick-or-treaters to the White House 👻 pic.twitter.com/Lnnqw8yKP4
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 29, 2026
Trump canceled rallies in Kansas and Iowa. How are Republicans polling there?
05:08 , Rachel DobkinPresident Donald Trump has canceled rallies in Kansas and Iowa ahead of Election Day as Republican candidates fight competitive races in both states.
Democrat Adam Hamilton was leading Republican Senator Roger Marshall by four points, 49 to 45 percent, in a new CNN/SSRS poll.
Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson was ahead of Democrat Josh Turek by two points, 48 to 46 percent, in a new co/efficient poll.
Top admiral briefs Trump on Iran war efforts as momentum builds for more attacks after midterms: report
04:07 , Isabel KeanePresident Donald Trump was briefed by top military officials on options for Iran, as administration officials gave Arab Gulf states a heads-up that attacks would resume after the midterm elections, according to a report.
Trump met Thursday with the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, Adm. Brad Cooper, at the White House, along with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, sources told The Wall Street Journal.
U.S. officials have warned several Gulf Arab nations to be ready for a short, intense military campaign after November 3, with Trump looking to potentially target Iranian infrastructure and nuclear sites, two diplomats briefed on the matter told the Associated Press on Wednesday, and the Journal previously reported.
“We may do another little Epic Fury,” Trump said at a rally last week, referring to the heavy bombing campaign by the U.S. and Israel this past spring. “Or they’ll agree.”
Read on...
Top admiral briefs Trump on Iran amid reports of post-election attacks
Watch: Obama laughs off Trump's response to 'Cheesecake Factory' jibe
03:44 , Rachel DobkinWhat is Trump's approval rating?
03:01 , Rachel DobkinDonald Trump has struggled with declining approval ratings throughout his second term — not the ideal situation for a president trying to boost Republican candidates’ chances of winning their midterm races.
About 60 percent of Americans disapprove of Trump’s job as president, while just 37 percent approve, according to a polling average tracked by The New York Times.
ANALYSIS: Trump’s Cheesecake Factory fixation reveals his true weakness in the midterms homestretch
02:22 , Holly BaxterThe president is drowning in his own AI slop — with a side of cheesecake.
A few days out from the midterms, and it seems things inside the White House are tense: a damning New York Times report describes him as cocooned in a media environment of his own making, spending time locked in a dining room where he consumes flattering news and gets fed AI videos for social posting from Bill Pulte. Pulte is supposed to be the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency but has morphed into what one DC insider described as a “court jester,” popping up with memes and AI-generated imagery every so often to boost Trump’s spirits.
Meanwhile, out on the campaign trail, Trump keeps insisting that the midterms will go well if people “pretend he’s on the ballot.” He repeats often that all sitting presidents tend to do badly in the midterms, however, because even he’s aware the polling doesn’t look good. And he’s gotten into a verbal tussle with Barack Obama about the Cheesecake Factory, because of course he has.
Read on...
Trump’s Cheesecake Factory fixation reveals his true weakness
Watch: Trump unloads on reporter who questions why he canceled Kansas rally
01:44 , Rachel DobkinNearly 2.3 million in-person ballots have been cast in Georgia during early voting
01:02 , Rachel DobkinNearly 2.3 million ballots have been cast in Georgia during in-person early voting, surpassing the numbers set in the 2022 midterm election.
As of Thursday afternoon, 2,294,275 Georgians voted early, according to election officials. In 2022, 2,289,951 people voted early in person.
There is still one day left of early voting in the state.
“Georgians continue to head to the polls in record numbers because they trust the system,” said Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. “This record-breaking in-person early voting turnout wouldn’t be possible without our county elections officials who work every day to ensure our elections are free, fair, and fast.”
Democrat says it's 'unsurprising' Vivek Ramaswamy took controversial ad off the air
00:21 , Rachel DobkinRepublican Vivek Ramaswamy’s team put out a controversial ad showing the mother of his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton, urging Ohians not to elect her governor.
The ad drew widespread backlash because of claims that Acton’s mother was abusive and sided with her husband, who was accused of raping Acton when she was a child.
Ramaswamy initially doubled down on the ad, but reports indicate that it was taken off the air after running to completion.
In response, Acton’s campaign said Ramaswamy “should never have run his despicable ad in the first place, and it’s totally unsurprising that he took it off the air in the most cowardly way possible, without even the hint of an apology to Dr. Acton, her family, or to the people of Ohio.”
“Vivek Ramaswamy has shown Ohio exactly who he is: an out-of-touch, self-serving billionaire who will do anything, and harm anyone, to get what he wants. It’s just one more reason for Ohioans to reject him and the private jet he flew in on next Tuesday.”
Trump cancels final Kansas and Iowa rallies before Election Day — and unloads on reporters asking about it
Thursday 29 October 2026 23:33 , Alex WoodwardPresident Donald Trump has canceled two campaign-trail appearances scheduled for the weekend before Election Day, opting instead for a series of telerallies amid dimming chances of Republican victories in midterms.
The president unloaded on a reporter who questioned why he canceled a Saturday appearance at a Kansas rally, one of last appearances on the road following two weeks of near nightly events. Hours later, the president pulled out of Sunday’s rally in Iowa.
Trump, who appeared to be sweating as he briefly addressed reporters following his remarks at a campaign rally in South Carolina, called a reporter with Reuters “way out of shape” and mocked him for asking whether the president was “feeling well.”
“You know what the reason is? I don’t feel I have to go to Kansas,” Trump told reporters Thursday. “He said, ‘You’re not going to Kansas, sir, are you feeling well?’ You’ve been following me for two weeks. I feel perfect.”
Read more...
Trump cancels Kansas and Iowa rallies — and unloads on reporter asking about it
In pictures: Trump officials and their kids attend White House Halloween event
Thursday 29 October 2026 23:02 , Rachel DobkinTrump administration officials and their kids joined the president and first lady at the White House for a Trick-or-Treat event Thursday night. Here are some photos:
Trick-or-Treaters dress to impress...Trump
Thursday 29 October 2026 22:24 , Rachel DobkinTrick-or-Treaters came to the White House Thursday dressed as dinosaurs, Barbie and bananas.
President Donald Trump was particularly excited about costumes close to his interests...such as himself.
One older kid took a photo with Trump and first lady Melania dressed in a red MAGA hat. Other children dressed as soldiers, police officers, Secret Service members and even as the Founding Fathers.
Trump and Melania kick off Trick-or-Treat at the White House
Thursday 29 October 2026 21:46 , Rachel DobkinPresident Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump have kicked off a Trick-or-Treat event at the White House.
One older kid, dressed in a red MAGA hat with matching red pajama bottoms, took a photo with Trump and Melania. There were also several children dressed as dinosaurs and race car drivers taking candy bars from the Trumps.
Watch: Trump invites 'handsome, good looking' college golf team on stage at South Carolina rally
Thursday 29 October 2026 21:35 , Rachel DobkinThe real winner in the Trump vs. Obama fight over The Cheesecake Factory might be the restaurant’s bottom line
Thursday 29 October 2026 21:01 , Rachel DobkinThe Cheesecake Factory finds itself in the middle of a presidential tussle, and it’s doing just fine.
After former President Barack Obama compared President Donald Trump’s White House decor to The Cheesecake Factory, the restaurant announced during an earnings call Tuesday that sales soared 15.3 percent from July to September. Those months were before the two leaders started their public feud that sucked in the restaurant.
Obama’s comments were met with outrage from MAGA, who called them “elitist.” Trump’s Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent responded by ordering a French dip cheeseburger at a Cheesecake Factory in Washington, D.C. Monday. Obama defended his comments at a Wednesday campaign rally in Georgia, saying the restaurant was his “jam” while he raised his daughters.
Though The Cheesecake Factory was swept up in controversy without asking, it’s a valuable win for the company, Marin Richardson, CEO of publicity firm Disrupt PR, told The Independent in an email.
“Both sides are fighting over who loves it more,” Richardson said. “Most brands would pay a fortune for that.”
Read on...
The Cheesecake Factory’s bottom line might be the winner in the presidential fight
Watch: Trump uses anti-transgender slur against Annie Andrews
Thursday 29 October 2026 20:32 , Rachel DobkinTrump’s Cabinet members are violating federal law by joining him on campaign trail, experts allege
Thursday 29 October 2026 20:05 , Rhian LubinEthics experts have accused some of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet of violating federal law by joining him on the campaign trail to rally for Republican candidates ahead of the midterm elections.
At least nine of Trump’s 15 cabinet secretaries have been accused of violating the Hatch Act —a federal law prohibiting federal employees from engaging in certain partisan political activities in their official capacity — over the past few months, according to The New York Times.
The president and vice president are exempt from restrictions under the 87-year-old law, but it applies to all other civil employees of the executive branch.
Read on...
Experts accuse some of Trump’s Cabinet of ‘violating’ federal law
Trump rally attendee trolls Fox News reporter with MAGA jibe in South Carolina
Thursday 29 October 2026 19:37 , Rachel DobkinAn attendee at a Donald Trump rally in South Carolina trolled a Fox News reporter by comparing the MAGA faithful to Jim James and the Jonestown suicide cult.
The pro-Trump station’s reporter Lucas Tomlinson was interviewing members of the audience gathered in Rock Hill on Thursday to hear the president stump for Darline Graham, the sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, who is facing off against Democrat Annie Andrews.
Tomlinson asked the man, who gave his name as Tom, why he was at the rally.
“Well, in the late '70s, I was a little too young to get involved and go to South America for the Jonestown Massacre, but this is as close as I'll ever get, so that's why I'm here,” Tom replied.
When a confused Tomlinson asked him to clarify he meant the Jonestown massacre, in which 900 members of the Jonestown cult committed suicide in Guyana, Tom replied, “ there's nothing like seeing a cult right up front, man.”
Watch here:
Trump rally attendee trolls Fox News reporter in South Carolina
