Trump to visit Kansas and Iowa for midterm rallies after initially canceling his appearance: Live updates

WorldPolitics
31 Oct 2026 • 12:03 AM MYT
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Trump to visit Kansas and Iowa for midterm rallies after initially canceling his appearance: Live updates

President Donald Trump has done a U-turn and will now rally in Kansas and Iowa this weekend after Republican officials previously pulled the plug on the in-person events.

The reversal comes after the president lashed out at a reporter who asked if the decision related to his health.

“You know what the reason is? I don’t feel I have to go to Kansas,” Trump snapped at the Reuters reporter on Thursday. “I feel perfect. You are disgusting.”

“Put yourself in shape. You look like hell,” Trump fumed.

Trump was due to hold a series of telerallies in 19 states before Tuesday’s midterm elections. The Iowa and Kansas rallies, taking place Sunday, have been rearranged to accommodate the telerallies added to Trump’s schedule, a source familiar with the plans told The Independent.

“Rallies are BACK ON!” the source said. “No one works harder, fights harder, or loves the American people more than President Donald J. Trump!”

The president is also scheduled to appear in person at a rally in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Friday night.

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Newsom warns Trump about interfering in state’s election ahead of midterms

Donald Trump avoids another infamous Minions moment at White House Halloween event following last rally before midterms

Key Points

  • Trump U-turns and will now rally in Kansas and Iowa: reports
  • Trump rallies in South Carolina as GOP grows concerned over tight Senate race
  • Abdul El-Sayed hits back at Trump with ‘lie detector’ jab
  • Watch: Kamala Harris issues rallying cry in Georgia
  • FBI agents fear Trump team will order them to seize voting machines

Rallies back on as Republicans are 'feeling bullish about both states'

16:30 , Rhian Lubin

Trump and the Republicans are said to be “feeling bullish” about their prospects in Kansas and Iowa, reportedly one of the reasons behind the U-turn, according to Politico.

But polls show the Senate races in each state are close.

“Back by popular demand. Feeling bullish about both states, but it’s about giving the people what they want,” a person familiar with the plans told the outlet.

In Kansas, Democrat Adam Hamilton has a narrow lead over Republican Roger Marshall, according to Emerson College Polling.

In Iowa, Republican Ashley Hinson is ahead of Democrat Josh Turek by two points, according to the NYT poll tracker.

Hakeem Jeffries: GOP in Kansas and Iowa 'scrambling to keep Trump away' from states

16:00 , Rhian Lubin

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has also weighed in on the abrupt change of course.

Pundits: 'Trump didn't like the optics of canceling'

15:30 , Rhian Lubin

Pundits have been weighing in on the significance of Trump’s exchange with the reporter who riled the president on Thursday.

His in-person rallies in Kansas and Iowa are now back on after the reporter asked Trump if was canceling over his health.

Fox News’ Dana Perino remarked that the scheduled change “did not make the president happy.”

Journalist Aaron Rupar, who posts viral clips of the president on social media, said that Trump’s “crashout” was “very telling.”

“He really didn't like the optics of canceling them,” Rupar said.

CNN’s Kaitlan Collins also chimed in.

“It may have been the president's answer that was the most revealing about what's going on,” Collins said.

Collins, who is often on the receiving end of Trump’s verbal attacks, noted that the reporter “got an irritated answer” for asking a “straightforward question,” and pointed out “it's the president himself who has touted his own ability to maintain a busy schedule.”

Watch Trump’s reaction on Thursday for yourself:

President will take part in back-to-back rallies on Sunday

15:03 , Rhian Lubin

President Donald Trump will take part in back-to-back rallies in Kansas and Iowa on Sunday after holding telerallies on Saturday.

Both are home to battleground Senate races that will help determine whether Republicans hold onto their majority in the chamber in the midterm elections.

Trump has already traveled to both states this month to boost GOP Sen. Roger Marshall in Kansas and Republican Iowa Senate candidate Ashley Hinson, who currently serves in the House.

Those stops were among the 25 rallies that the president has headlined so far in October.

New: Trump WILL now rally in Kansas and Iowa in person

14:50 , Rhian Lubin

President Donald Trump has reversed course and will now hold midterm rallies in Kansas and Iowa this weekend after he was called out by a reporter for canceling them.

Before the U-turn, the rallies in Kansas and Iowa were pulled at the eleventh hour by Republican officials who announced the events would be replaced with telerallies.

Now the rallies are back on, sources told CNN and the Associated Press, citing a White House official. It follows pressure from a reporter who asked Trump if the cancelations had anything to do with his health.

Read more below

Image from: Trump to visit Kansas and Iowa for midterm rallies after initially canceling his appearance: Live updates

Trump reverses course after reporter calls him out over canceling midterms rallies

Newsom warns Trump about interfering in California’s election

14:30 , Joe Sommerlad

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has issued a blunt caution to the president on X not to meddle in the Golden State next week, writing:

“​A warning to Donald Trump: I’m deploying election lawyers to key battleground districts in California to protect every vote,” Newsom wrote. “And I just made it a FELONY to illegally seize ballots.”

Here’s more from Owen Scott.

Image from: Trump to visit Kansas and Iowa for midterm rallies after initially canceling his appearance: Live updates

Newsom warns Trump about interfering in state’s election ahead of midterms

DOJ escalates Alaska Senate probe as Trump demands Democrat Mary Peltola be prosecuted

14:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s the latest on the “double Dan Sullivan” drama as the president insists the Peltola campaign deliberately rustled up an independent candidate with the exact same name as the Republican incumbent to baffle voters.

Image from: Trump to visit Kansas and Iowa for midterm rallies after initially canceling his appearance: Live updates

Trump DOJ ramps up Alaska Senate probe as Trump demands Mary Peltola be prosecuted

Vance: ‘I've only gotten one question about Jon Husted’s a**!’

13:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s a little more from the VP’s sitdown with Jesse Watters when he appeared to baulk at being asked a substantive question by a member of the audience, stating a clear preference for softball queries about Trump’s rally antics.

Analysis: Trump’s approval rating is historically low for a president heading into the midterms

13:00 , Joe Sommerlad

With the latest on the president’s woeful polling, which threatens to come back to haunt Republican candidates across the country Tuesday, here’s Jasmine Fernandez.

Image from: Trump to visit Kansas and Iowa for midterm rallies after initially canceling his appearance: Live updates

Trump approval rating is historically low for a president heading into the midterms

Watch: Kamala Harris issues rallying cry in Georgia

12:30 , Joe Sommerlad

The former vice president and defeated 2024 presidential candidate was out in the Peach State yesterday stumping for Ossoff and Keisha Lance Bottoms and had this message for voters:

Vance addresses Trump’s Husted oggling and Iran war

12:00 , Joe Sommerlad

The vice president took part in a Fox News town hall with Jesse Watters yesterday at which he made light of the president’s repeated remarks about Ohio Republican Sen. Jon Hustead’s shapely derriere.

He also denied that the conflict in Iran amounted to a “forever war” and took issue with Barack Obama’s Cheesecake Factory joke, but not his comparing Trump to Saddam Hussein.

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 30, 2026

Watch: Talarico attacks Paxton and Elon Musk over robo-calls

11:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico lashed out at rival Ken Paxton yesterday and his trillionaire backer for paying for automated robo-calls to voters to attack him.

El-Sayed hits back at Trump with ‘lie detector’ jab

11:00 , Joe Sommerlad

The president said in South Carolina that Michigan’s Black and Jewish voters would be “crazy” to vote for Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, a Muslim.

At his own event in Kalamazoo yesterday, El-Sayed got in plenty of digs at the president, making light of the Islamophobic abuse he has been subjected to and zeroing in on the state of the economy.

He also landed this zinger on Robert F Kennedy Jr:

Trump avoids another infamous ‘Minions moment’ at White House Halloween event

10:30 , Joe Sommerlad

The president made it through this year’s Halloween celebration at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue without giving in to the urge to balance candy on a child’s head so at least that’s something.

Here’s Rachel Dobkin on an event at which the scariest ghouls on display might just have been Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.

Image from: Trump to visit Kansas and Iowa for midterm rallies after initially canceling his appearance: Live updates

Donald Trump avoids another infamous Minions moment at White House Halloween event

Watch: Trump talks ‘stupid presidents,’ Canada and Fred Astaire in South Carolina

10:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Here 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.

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 already crying ‘election fraud’ at home and abroad

09:30 , Joe Sommerlad

In 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.

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 29, 2026

Watch: Democrat says he knows why Trump is canceling his rallies

09:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Georgia 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 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 Sommerlad

Good 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.

Hours later, the president pulled out of Sunday’s rally in Iowa too.

Alex Woodward has the story.

Image from: Trump to visit Kansas and Iowa for midterm rallies after initially canceling his appearance: Live updates

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 Dobkin

Trump can’t stop comparing his crowd size to Vance’s, insiders reveal

07:02 , Rhian Lubin

President 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...

Image from: Trump to visit Kansas and Iowa for midterm rallies after initially canceling his appearance: Live updates

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

Trump canceled rallies in Kansas and Iowa. How are Republicans polling there?

05:08 , Rachel Dobkin

President 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 Keane

President 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...

Image from: Trump to visit Kansas and Iowa for midterm rallies after initially canceling his appearance: Live updates

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 Dobkin

What is Trump's approval rating?

03:01 , Rachel Dobkin

Donald 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 Baxter

The 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...

Image from: Trump to visit Kansas and Iowa for midterm rallies after initially canceling his appearance: Live updates

Trump’s Cheesecake Factory fixation reveals his true weakness

Watch: Trump unloads on reporter who questions why he canceled Kansas rally

01:44 , Rachel Dobkin

Nearly 2.3 million in-person ballots have been cast in Georgia during early voting

01:02 , Rachel Dobkin

Nearly 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 Dobkin

Republican 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.

A controversial ad showing the mother of Republican Vivek Ramaswamy’s Democratic opponent, Amy Acton, urging Ohians not to elect her governor has been taken off the air (Getty Images)

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 Woodward

President 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 Dobkin

Trump 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:

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and their families attend Trump's Halloween event (Getty Images)Trump and Melania give candy to Hegseth's children (AFP via Getty Images)Miller's children receive candy from the Trumps (AFP via Getty Images)

Trick-or-Treaters dress to impress...Trump

Thursday 29 October 2026 22:24 , Rachel Dobkin

Trick-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.

One older kid wore a MAGA hat to the Halloween event (Getty Images)Trick-or-Treaters dress up as the Founding Fathers as they visit the White House (AFP via Getty Images)Other children dressed as soldiers and law enforcement (AFP via Getty Images)

Trump and Melania kick off Trick-or-Treat at the White House

Thursday 29 October 2026 21:46 , Rachel Dobkin

President 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.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump have kicked off a Trick-or-Treat event at the White House (AFP via Getty Images)

Watch: Trump invites 'handsome, good looking' college golf team on stage at South Carolina rally

Thursday 29 October 2026 21:35 , Rachel Dobkin

The 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 Dobkin

The 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...

Image from: Trump to visit Kansas and Iowa for midterm rallies after initially canceling his appearance: Live updates

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 Dobkin

Trump’s Cabinet members are violating federal law by joining him on campaign trail, experts allege

Thursday 29 October 2026 20:05 , Rhian Lubin

Ethics 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...

Image from: Trump to visit Kansas and Iowa for midterm rallies after initially canceling his appearance: Live updates

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 Dobkin

An 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:

Image from: Trump to visit Kansas and Iowa for midterm rallies after initially canceling his appearance: Live updates

Trump rally attendee trolls Fox News reporter in South Carolina

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