President Trump reversed course on Friday and will now travel to campaign rallies in Kansas and Iowa on Sunday. These events were previously canceled by White House officials. The president said, "I feel perfect," while dismissing health concerns. Polls show Republicans in danger of losing seats before Tuesday's midterm elections.
The whiplash over the president's schedule comes as polls show Republicans in danger of losing seats, including in areas Mr. Trump won handily in 2024.
President Trump reversed course on Friday and will now travel to campaign rallies in Kansas and Iowa on Sunday, a day after those events were canceled.
White House officials had said on Thursday that campaign events in Kansas on Saturday and Iowa on Sunday were scrapped so the president could hold virtual events to reach voters in more states.
But by Friday morning, those events were back on. Officials said the in-person rallies had only been rearranged to accommodate the additional virtual events on the president's schedule.
The whiplash over the president's schedule comes just days before the midterm elections on Tuesday, and as polls show Republicans in danger of losing seats across the country, including in areas where Mr. Trump won handily in 2024.
Mr. Trump lashed out at a reporter on Thursday when asked if he had canceled the Kansas rally because of health concerns.
"You've been following me for two weeks. I feel perfect," Mr. Trump told reporters on his way back from a rally in South Carolina. To the reporter who asked, he said: "You are sick to ask that question," and added, "you are disgusting. Put yourself in shape. You look like hell."
In Iowa and Kansas, polls show Democrats running strong races for both governor and Senate. In 2024, Mr. Trump won Iowa by 13 points, and Kansas by 16 points.
Senator Roger Marshall, Republican of Kansas, said on Thursday that Mr. Trump's decision to cancel his rally in the state was a positive sign for his campaign.
"I think that I'm doing so well in the polls that he's got, probably got better places to spend his time," he told reporters.
But most polls show Mr. Marshall trailing Adam Hamilton, a pastor and the Democratic nominee.
Mr. Trump will travel to Daytona Beach, Fla., on Friday to attend a rally for Representative Byron Donalds, the Republican nominee for governor, and Senator Ashley Moody, a Republican who is running for re-election. The president was expected to spend the weekend at Mar-a-Lago.