President Donald Trump canceled weekend rallies in Iowa and Kansas on Thursday, October 30, choosing instead to back Republican candidates through telerallies that party officials say can reach voters in nearly two dozen states during the final stretch of a midterm election that could decide control of Congress.
The Republican National Committee said the format change maximizes Trump's ability to speak to voters nationwide, according to U.S. News & World Report. For Iowa Republicans, the shift means no in-person presidential visit this weekend, but the party insists the tradeoff reaches far more voters across the battleground map.
Why Trump Canceled the Iowa and Kansas Rallies
Trump had been scheduled to rally in Kansas on Saturday alongside Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, who faces a challenge from Democrat Adam Hamilton, pastor of the nation's largest United Methodist Church. Instead of the rally, Trump called into a Kansas City radio station Friday, calling Marshall fantastic and saying the senator is in a close race.
Talking up policy directives he says have helped farmers, including expanding the use of tax-free red-dyed diesel, Trump said Marshall is the one who more than anybody else pushes the administration on the issue. That message matters to Kansas and Iowa growers alike, since red-diesel tax relief directly affects farm equipment costs.
Trump also called Hamilton a radical who has caused turmoil with the church because he's so liberal.
When a reporter asked whether travel fatigue prompted the cancellation, Trump pushed back hard. He called the reporter disgusting, told him to get in shape, and said he would hold a telerally for Marshall instead, according to U.S. News & World Report.
What the Telerally Strategy Means for Iowa Voters
The RNC frames the switch as a numbers game. One rally draws tens of thousands of people in a single city; a series of telerallies can patch the president into living rooms, union halls and county party events across nearly two dozen states in the closing days.
Trump also used his Kansas radio appearance to offer some unorthodox parenting advice. Asked by the host how he raised his now-adult children, Trump said he repeatedly told them no drugs, no alcohol, no cigarettes, then added his guidance on body art.
I have friends that get tattoos, Trump said. I don't know. I don't quite understand it, but that's okay.
His advice, in short: keep tattoos lowkey.
South Carolina Trip Signals Republican Anxiety
The president traveled to South Carolina on Thursday for the second time in a month, a sign of Republican concern about Darline Graham's ability to fend off a strong challenge from Democrat Annie Andrews for a critical U.S. Senate seat.
Voters in South Carolina have not sent a Democrat to the Senate in nearly three decades. But Andrews, a pediatrician who previously ran unsuccessfully for Congress, is urging voters to try something new for once. That pitch could resonate in a year defined by voter frustration with the economy, gas prices and the war in Iran, putting Republicans on defense in states where they rarely had to compete.
DOJ Subpoenas California Election Officials
The U.S. Justice Department issued subpoenas to California officials in an escalation of its scrutiny of local election administration. The Associated Press obtained copies of three subpoenas sent October 21 and October 24 to employees of the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder, ordering them to appear in court on November 4, the day after the election.
The subpoenas request documents and communications related to federal letters sent in July and October alleging noncitizens on the state's voter rolls. They also seek information about efforts to prevent noncitizen votes from being counted. All four U.S. attorneys in California were issuing subpoenas, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Pentagon Fires Three-Star General Over Leak Allegations
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia as head of strategy, plans and policy for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a defense official said late Wednesday. A Pentagon official, speaking anonymously, later said Sylvia was under investigation over allegations of sharing classified information about the Iran war and the Russia-Ukraine conflict with journalists.
It is the latest in a series of ousters or departures of military leaders under Hegseth.
Peltola Denies Knowledge of Alaska Ballot Scheme
Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola denied Thursday that she knew anything about an effort to put another candidate on the Alaska ballot with the same name as Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan, as the Justice Department escalated a criminal investigation with new grand jury subpoenas.
I just want to clear the air, Peltola said at the top of a speech in a downtown bar in Juneau. I knew nothing about any other candidate on the ballot except for me and the incumbent. That is all I have ever known about. I am not interested in tricking voters.
According to The New York Times, a Peltola staffer in the summer of 2025 received unusual instructions from top campaign aides: find as many people named Dan Sullivan in Alaska as possible. The Times reported that Peltola's campaign appeared involved in recruiting Dan J. Sullivan Jr., a retired teacher in a remote fishing village, as part of an alleged effort to confuse voters.
The BBC reported that senior aides at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee also worked to recruit the second Sullivan. CBS News reported the Justice Department has sued to potentially block the election from being certified if the senator loses due to voter confusion, alongside the separate criminal probe.
Former Diplomats Press Trump on Russia Sanctions
Nearly 20 former diplomats and national security officials, including retired Gen. Wesley K. Clark, retired Gen. Philip Breedlove and former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor, urged Trump in a letter to enforce the Lindsey Graham Sanctioning Russia Act.
To restore American leverage, we urge you to enforce the sanctions law you signed, they wrote, according to the letter obtained by the AP. They also called on Trump to reverse his Russian diesel deal, release Patriot interceptors Ukraine needs for its defense, and ensure Ukraine is part of any peace negotiations.
FAQ
Why did Trump cancel his Iowa rally?
Trump canceled the weekend rallies in Iowa and Kansas on Thursday, October 30. The Republican National Committee said telerallies reach more voters across nearly two dozen states in the campaign's final days. Trump rejected a reporter's suggestion that travel fatigue played a role.
What is the Alaska ballot controversy about?
The New York Times reported that people connected to Mary Peltola's campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee recruited a second Dan Sullivan to run against Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. Peltola denies any knowledge, and the Justice Department has issued grand jury subpoenas in a criminal investigation.
What do the California subpoenas demand?
Subpoenas sent October 21 and October 24 order Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder employees to appear in court on November 4 and turn over documents about alleged noncitizens on voter rolls and efforts to prevent noncitizen votes from being counted.