Trump Swaps In-Person Rallies for Phone Events

President Donald Trump will skip two scheduled in-person rallies this weekend to join a series of phone-based events. The Republican National Committee announced the change on Thursday, stating that telerallies allow the president to address voters in nearly two dozen states simultaneously.

The decision replaces a planned Saturday stop in Kansas and a Sunday appearance in Iowa. Instead, Trump will participate in a 72-hour sprint of remote speeches. The RNC said this format maximizes the president’s ability to speak to voters nationwide during the final days of the midterm election. Telerallies are currently planned for about 20 states, with more locations potentially added.

Trump’s team cited growing optimism about Republican prospects in Kansas as a factor in the shift. According to a person familiar with internal strategy who spoke on condition of anonymity, the campaign is bullish on the race for the Senate seat held by GOP Sen. Roger Marshall. Democrat Adam Hamilton is mounting a competitive challenge. The switch to remote events means Trump will speak for approximately 10 minutes per state, compared to more than 90 minutes at physical rallies.

The president denied that illness prompted the change. He said he is not traveling to Kansas because Marshall is doing very well. Trump stated, “I don’t feel I have to go to Kansas.” He confirmed plans to travel to Florida on Friday.

On Thursday, Trump visited South Carolina for the second time in a month to support Senate candidate Darline Graham. Graham, the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, was appointed by Gov. Henry McMaster in July and became the party nominee in August. She faces Democrat Annie Andrews, a pediatrician who previously ran for Congress. South Carolina has not sent a Democrat to the Senate in nearly 30 years.

Trump praised Graham at the event, saying, “She’s got the gene.” He also acknowledged his role in placing her on the ballot, quipping, “I got you into this thing, Darline.” Graham, who voted in Lexington after the speech, commended the president for delivering on long-term promises and warned that Andrews would throw them away.

In nearby Fort Mill, Andrews campaigned on Wednesday. She told voters that if they elect her and become unhappy with her performance in Washington, they can fire her in six years. Her campaign is targeting disaffected Republicans. One such voter, Brent Chaplin, a 37-year-old finance and accounting worker, said he voted for Andrews. Chaplin, who supported Trump in 2016, urged voters to use brainpower rather than vote strictly by party label.

Rep. Ralph Norman, who lost to Graham in the primary runoff, has criticized her qualifications. Norman said the race is closer than it would have been had he been nominated. Meanwhile, the Justice Department issued new grand jury subpoenas regarding the Alaska Senate race. The department also appointed a special master in California to evaluate claims about noncitizens on voter rolls.