U-TURN

Panicked Trump Makes Major Reversal after Ditching Rallies

Less than a day after pivoting from in-person rallies to virtual campaign events, the president switched strategies again.

Donald Trump has reversed his decision to ditch rallies in Kansas and Iowa ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections.

Less than a day after pivoting from his in-person rallies in favor of virtual campaign events, Trump switched strategies yet again on Friday.

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A source familiar with the planning told the Daily Beast the rallies had been rearranged for scheduling purposes to accommodate dozens of additional tele-rallies that were recently added to the President’s schedule.

“President Trump loves his supporters, and in addition to nearly 20 tele-rallies, he will hold back-to-back rallies in Kansas and Iowa on Sunday,” the source said.

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The reversal underlines the indecision that has hampered the GOP’s election campaign, particularly after the president, who is not on the ballot this year, chose to make himself the centerpiece.

The original decision to scrap his appearances in Iowa and Kansas caught Republican operatives by surprise on Thursday, particularly given how tight the races have become in traditionally Republican territory.

In Kansas, GOP Senator Roger Marshall is facing a surprisingly strong challenge from Democrat and pastor Adam Hamilton, while in Iowa, Democrat Josh Turek is mounting a serious challenge to Republican Senate candidate Ashley Hinson.

Trump’s short-lived decision to abandon his in-person appearances had renewed speculation about the 80-year-old president’s health, prompted questions about whether he had given up on certain races, and reignited his obsession with crowd sizes.

They also came after a string of protests at each event. Three separate demonstrations disrupted Thursday’s rally in South Carolina, where Trump was trying to boost support for embattled Senate candidate Darline Graham, the sister of late MAGA Senator Lindsey Graham.

“They always hit me in the middle of my damn punchline,” Trump lamented minutes into his speech.

In Ohio on Wednesday night, several protesters also disrupted the rally, with one screaming: “Trump went on the Jeffrey Epstein’s plane.”

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Trump himself confirmed the rallies had been scrapped on Thursday, even attacking a Reuters reporter who asked if he had canceled his weekend events because he was sick of travel.

“You are a sick guy, Reuters is terrible,” Trump replied angrily.

“I’m not going to Kansas because he’s doing very well. Tomorrow I’m going to Florida... You’ve been following me for two weeks, I feel perfect. You are disgusting. Put yourself in shape; you look like hell.”

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But by Friday morning, the White House confirmed plans had changed.

“Rallies are BACK ON!” an official told the Daily Beast in a statement.

While Trump is not on the ballot this year, the president opted to make himself the center of the GOP’s campaign to retain control of the U.S. Congress.

For the past few weeks, he has barnstormed the country begging supporters to “pretend I’m on the ballot” in the hope of getting more voters to turn up on Tuesday.

But the strategy has proved contentious for vulnerable candidates given Trump’s record-low approval ratings, and anger over cost-of-living pressures, tariffs and the war in Iran.

The rallies Trump has held during his midterm blitz are also a far cry from his heyday, when tens of thousands packed large stadiums across the country to hear him speak.

Republicans are grappling with a worrying enthusiasm deficit heading into Tuesday’s election, with early voting data suggesting Democrats are considerably more motivated to turn out at the polls.

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Farrah TomazinPolitical Correspondent

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