<p>The president cancelled the events in favor of tele-rallies, as Republicans face a fight to retain control of Congress</p><p>Donald Trump cancelled, and then promptly uncancelled, two in-person rallies in Kansas and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/video/2026/oct/28/will-prairie-populism-defeat-republicans-in-the-midterms-politics-weekly-america">Iowa</a> this weekend as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/30/government-corruption-us-midterm-poll">polls</a> suggest US midterm election races in the previous Republican strongholds could go down to the wire.</p><p>On Thursday, just five days before election day, the Republican National Committee (RNC) <a href="https://gop.com/press-release/rnc-announces-updated-campaign-plans-as-president-trump-continues-nationwide-get-out-the-vote-efforts/">announced</a> the president would no longer host the Kansas and Iowa rallies and instead participate in “a large number of tele-rallies”. The RNC claimed it felt it was in a “strong position” <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/29/a-rare-red-line-in-deeply-cynical-times">in Kansas</a> and Iowa.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/30/trump-midterm-rallies-kansas-iowa">Continue reading...</a>