The decision marks a sharp reversal from the US president, who said he did not feel it was necessary to hold the event.
Published October 30, 2026
A day after announcing he was canceling two campaign rallies, U.S. President Donald Trump reversed course and opted to put those events back on the calendar.
A source close to the Trump administration told Al Jazeera on Friday that the president will personally lead previously canceled rallies in Kansas and Iowa ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections.
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“The rally is starting again!” the official said. “No one works harder, fights harder, or loves the American people more than President Donald J. Trump!”
President Trump was previously scheduled to visit Kansas on Saturday and Iowa on Sunday. But from now on, both gatherings will be held on Sundays.
The event was rescheduled to include more telephone calls, allowing Trump to participate virtually, the person said.
Republican officials also haven’t ruled out the possibility of additional campaign events being added to the president’s schedule before the midterm elections.
The decision was a sharp reversal after President Trump told reporters on Thursday, “I don’t think it’s necessary to go to Kansas.”
“Tuesday night is going to be strong,” President Trump said of the midterm elections.
Iowa and Kansas are typically states friendly to the president’s Republican Party. For example, Kansas hasn’t elected a Democrat to a full term in the Senate since 1932.
But early polling data shows voters in both states are more likely to lean toward Democratic Senate candidates this election cycle.
In Kansas, for example, the race is heating up between Republican Sen. Roger Marshall and his Democratic challenger, megachurch pastor Adam Hamilton.
An Emerson College poll conducted Friday found Mr. Hamilton with a 49% approval rating, to Mr. Marshall’s 45% lead.
Analysts have warned that Republican candidates could face a backlash in the polls on issues such as the cost of living, as fuel prices are higher than usual due to the U.S.-Israel war against Iran.
Ahead of Friday’s reversal, Marshall defended President Trump’s decision to cancel a rally in Kansas.
“They think because I’m doing so well in the polls, maybe he has a better place to spend his time,” Marshall said Thursday.
But Democrats were quick to accuse Trump of abandoning Republican candidates with less than four days left until the vote.
David Axelrod, a senior adviser to former President Barack Obama, described the cancellation as a “strategic setback” in a social media post.
The Republican National Committee argued that virtual appearances would be more efficient and allow Trump to reach more voters.
President Trump is expected to speak at a rally in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Friday, endorsing the state’s two Republican candidates: U.S. Senate candidate Ashley Moody and gubernatorial candidate Byron Donald.
