Updated October 29, 2026, 7:37 p.m. ET
WASHINGTON — Facing a potential Democratic takeover of Congress in next week’s midterm elections, President Donald Trump lashed out at a reporter who asked him about his abrupt cancellation of a campaign rally originally planned in Kansas this weekend.
“Oh, you’re sick of asking that question. You’re sick,” Trump said Oct. 29 when the reporter, who works for Reuters, asked if the president canceled the trip because he was “tired of traveling.”
“Look at this guy. He’s really out of shape,” Trump said, adding that he would no longer go to Kansas because outgoing Sen. Roger Marshall “is doing great.” The White House said Trump instead planned to hold a tele-rally for Marshall and other Republican candidates in the midterms.
“You know what the reason is? I don’t feel obligated to go to Kansas. I’m going to Florida tomorrow,” said Trump, who is holding a rally in Daytona, Florida, on Friday. “You’ve been following me for two weeks. I feel perfect. You’re disgusting. Get in shape. You look like hell.”
Trump held more than two dozen rallies during the home stretch of the midterm campaign as he sought to energize the MAGA base. Yet according to polls, the president’s popularity is at an all-time low in many states he visits, including Kansas, making his appearance a risk for midterm candidates.
Trump’s voice has become hoarse following the nightly rallies, during which the president often speaks for nearly two hours.
Trump was originally scheduled to hold what would have been his second Kansas rally on October 30 in Salina, but the event was canceled on October 29. The Republican National Committee also announced that the president would no longer hold a rally in Iowa as planned on November 1. The White House said Trump would continue to connect directly with Americans through more than 20 tele-rallies before Election Day.
“Voters across the country want to hear from President Trump before Election Day, and this 72-hour sprint will be a huge boost in the final days,” RNC Chairman Joe Gruters said in a statement.
The abandoned plans come as Kansas has become an unexpected battleground amid signs of a blue wave election. Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton holds a four-point lead over Marshall (49% to 45%), according to a new CNN poll, in a state that hasn’t elected a Democratic U.S. senator since 1932.
The same poll found that 57% of Kansas voters disapprove of Trump’s job performance. Trump won the state by 16 percentage points in the 2024 election.
Trump made the remarks after returning from a rally in South Carolina, where he campaigned for Republican Sen. Darline Graham, who is also in a tight race in a state that historically votes solidly Republican.
Contact Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
Gn headline
