Trump swaps in-person rallies for phone broadcasts in final stretch

President Donald Trump canceled his scheduled in-person rallies in Iowa and Kansas on Thursday, shifting his campaign strategy to a series of telerallies. The Republican National Committee announced the change late Thursday, stating that phone broadcasts would allow the president to address voters in nearly two dozen states simultaneously. This move comes as the midterm election approaches, with control of Congress at stake.

The decision to switch formats means Trump will speak for approximately 10 minutes per telerally, a sharp reduction from the 90-minute speeches typical of his live events. A person familiar with the operation told AP that the president’s team is bullish on Kansas, where Democrat Adam Hamilton is mounting a competitive challenge to Sen. Roger Marshall. When asked if an illness caused the change, Trump denied being sick, saying he was not traveling to Kansas because Marshall is doing very well.

Trump traveled to South Carolina on Thursday, marking his second visit to the state in a month. He is backing Darline Graham, who faces a strong challenge from Democrat Annie Andrews for the U.S. Senate seat. Graham, the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, was appointed to the seat by Gov. Henry McMaster in July after her brother’s death. She became the party’s nominee for a full six-year term in August.

In her campaign, Andrews has focused on voter frustration with the economy, gas prices, and the war in Iran. The former pediatrician told supporters in Fort Mill that if voters are unhappy with her performance, they can fire her in six years. She is attempting to attract disaffected Republicans, such as Brent Chaplin, a finance worker who voted for Trump in 2016 but said it is hard to remain a Republican right now. Chaplin advised voters to use their brainpower and consider candidates beyond party labels.

The president also addressed the race in Alaska, where the Justice Department issued new grand jury subpoenas related to the Senate contest. The move follows a report by The New York Times suggesting the Democratic campaign for Mary Peltola was involved in recruiting another candidate with the same name as Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan. Trump called the development a conspiracy and urged Peltola’s removal from the ballot. Peltola’s campaign described the report as a distraction from Sullivan’s support of the war in Iran.

In Iowa, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Rob Sand told voters in a Des Moines suburb to avoid post-election regret by participating before Nov. 3. Democrats in Iowa have not held the governor’s mansion since 2010. Sand acknowledged that a victory would likely result in divided government, noting that supporters on the far left and far right would both be somewhat disappointed.

The RNC plans to announce additional telerallies in the coming days. Trump is scheduled to travel to Florida on Friday, continuing his efforts to mobilize the Republican base across tight races in Texas, Ohio, and Alaska.