Trump rallies in Iowa, Kansas
The president campaigns in states he has previously won as Democrats face internal friction in Michigan.
By Gabriela Ivanov ·
President Donald Trump is spending the final weekend before Tuesday's election campaigning in two states where he has historically won by wide margins. This strategy contrasts with his 2024 presidential run, during which he focused on flipping states that had previously supported Joe Biden. Voters in these swing states are now questioning the economic effects of his tariff policies and the war in Iran.
Trump is scheduled to hold a rally in Dubuque, Iowa, on Sunday afternoon. In that state, Republicans are fighting to retain a critical Senate seat and the governor's office. The 2nd Congressional District, which includes Dubuque, has become competitive as the GOP works to protect its slim majority in the House. He plans to end his campaigning in Salina, Kansas, where Adam Hamilton is running to become the first Kansas Democrat to win a Senate seat in 94 years.
More than 52 million votes have already been cast. These late-stage rallies reflect a defensive posture by the Republican Party as the election becomes a referendum on Trump's second term. However, Democrats face their own challenges in Michigan, where they are attempting to retake the Senate.
Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for an open Senate seat in Michigan, is engaged in a public feud with former primary opponent Rep. Haley Stevens. Stevens appeared at a church service with Republican candidate Mike Rogers instead of joining El-Sayed and Rep. Jim Clyburn as planned. She has criticized El-Sayed for not supporting Israel enough, and her fiancé said last week that he will vote for Rogers.
Debbie Dingell, a Michigan congresswoman who organized the planned joint appearance, said she asked Stevens not to attend. Stevens told Dingell she would abide by that request. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a top supporter of El-Sayed, dismissed fears of a party split on CBS' Face the Nation. He noted that Stevens lost a close primary and that voters across the state are standing with El-Sayed.
Michigan is central to the Democratic effort to retake the Senate. If Democrats lose that seat, they will need to win races in more Republican-leaning states like Texas, Kansas, Ohio, or Iowa to take control. Trump paused his rally schedule on Saturday to attend a Halloween party at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. There, he told guests that the country has never done better.
Outgoing Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska told CNN that tariffs are not popular in the Midwest. He predicted a debate within the party if Republicans suffer large losses. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said he was confident Republicans would keep the Senate. He stated that Trump's agenda is on the ballot.
