Trump’s rallies in Iowa and Kansas come as Republicans fight to keep Senate and House control

Donald Trump is set to make appearances at rallies in Iowa and Kansas two days before the midterm elections, contrary to his initial preference for tele-rallies. The reversal of plans came on Friday, as reported by the Associated Press. The former president likely plans to highlight the $15 billion his administration has allocated to farmers over the past few weeks, aimed at compensating for higher costs they face due to Trump's tariffs and the ongoing Iran War. These expenses include increased diesel prices and the cost of farm inputs like fertilizer.

Trump had been campaigning in Florida at his Mar-a-Lago club after weeks of traveling across multiple states. He won Iowa by a significant margin in the 2024 election, but recent polls suggest Democrats are either tied or leading in many of the state's competitive races. Trump's approval rating among rural Americans has hit a new low of 45% as of October, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling.

Kansas, which hasn't elected a Democratic senator since 1932, is also bracing for an unexpectedly close race. Early voting has surged, with over 53 million votes cast as of Sunday morning, according to the University of Florida. Voter enthusiasm for Tuesday's elections seems strongest among Democrats, with 11.1 million registered Democrats having voted compared to 8.2 million registered Republicans.

The Trump administration has been preparing for a potential Democratic takeover of Congress, developing strategies to push forward key aspects of his agenda via executive power while preparing for possible investigations into his administration, as reported by the Associated Press. They cited a White House official and two people familiar with the plans.

In Michigan, Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed has requested Democratic congresswoman Haley Stevens to refrain from his campaign events. El-Sayed and Stevens were initially scheduled to appear together at a church service in Detroit, but Stevens' representative, Debbie Dingell, informed CNN that it wouldn't be effective. On Saturday, a US judge dismissed Trump's lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal with prejudice, ending his legal challenge against the newspaper's coverage of his alleged birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein.