President Donald Trump heads to Wichita, Kansas on Monday and Iowa later this week, the latest stops in a midterm campaign blitz aimed at firing up rural voters during a costly harvest season.
Republicans are pouring money into Senate races across the Plains states, including Iowa, as party leaders worry about voter enthusiasm three weeks before Election Day. Trump carried Kansas by 16 percentage points over Kamala Harris in 2024, yet the party is not taking anything for granted this year.
Why the GOP Is Worried About Farmer Enthusiasm
The Associated Press reports that the GOP is counting heavily on farmers' votes in the final stretch, just as a costly harvest season has deepened frustration in farm country. High input costs and tight margins have left many rural voters grumbling, and Republican strategists fear that frustration could keep them home in November.
That concern is real for Iowa, where agriculture still drives the economy. Turnout in rural counties decided close races here in 2020 and 2024, and both parties know it.
Competitive Senate Races Across Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa
The president's Kansas rally comes as Republican Sen. Roger Marshall faces a tougher than expected challenge from Democrat Adam Hamilton, founder of the nation's largest United Methodist church. Hamilton welcomed Trump to the state Monday and made a direct appeal to his voters.
“It's always an honor to have the president of the United States right here in our great state,” Hamilton said in a video posted Monday afternoon, according to Aol. “I want Kansans to know that if you voted for the president, you also have a place in my campaign.”
Hamilton said he would work with Trump when their priorities aligned and stand up to him when he believed the president's policies would hurt Kansas.
“Some days we'll agree, some days we won't,” he said.
Iowa Stop Coming Later This Week
Trump is scheduled to appear in Iowa later this week as part of the same swing. He already has a Thursday rally planned in Sioux City to boost Rep. Ashley Hinson, who is running for governor. The Iowa Senate seat currently held by a Republican is also on the ballot, though one GOP pollster recently argued the seat is likely safe despite blue wave talk in the national press.
Republicans currently control both chambers of Congress, and the midterm outcome will determine whether the president faces an emboldened Democratic opposition in Washington or a friendly majority for the second half of his term.
Trump Signs Women's Health Executive Order
Before leaving for Kansas, Trump signed an executive order Monday at a Rose Garden ceremony creating a new women's health division at the National Institutes of Health and a White House task force on the issue. The initiative was pushed by first lady Melania Trump, who held a series of meetings with federal health officials ahead of the signing.
“Beginning today we will change the reality of women's health,” Melania Trump said. “Previous generations fought for women's rights. Our generation will fight to discover the cures that will ensure a woman can live her life in health and to the fullest.”
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, who recently completed treatment for breast cancer, and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will lead the task force. The order does not include specific funding goals.
What Else Happened Monday
The Supreme Court agreed to hear a case on the role of race in middle school admissions at four selective magnet schools in Montgomery County, Maryland. Parents suing the district say the race-neutral policy is designed to boost Black and Latino admissions while disadvantaging Asian American students. The court will weigh whether the parents have enough evidence of discrimination for the case to proceed.
Trump also told reporters he would participate in a proposed three-way meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping next month in China, which The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday night. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said no substantive proposals about the meeting have been put forward yet.
FAQ
When is Trump coming to Iowa?
Trump is scheduled to visit Iowa later this week, including a Thursday rally in Sioux City to support Rep. Ashley Hinson's campaign for governor.
Why are Republicans worried about the midterms?
Party leaders are concerned that voter enthusiasm is lagging in rural areas after a costly harvest season, prompting heavy spending on Senate races in Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa.
What does the women's health executive order do?
The order signed Monday creates a new women's health division at the National Institutes of Health and a White House task force led by chief of staff Susie Wiles and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.