Trump swaps in-person stops for phone rallies

President Donald Trump canceled scheduled in-person rallies in Iowa and Kansas on Thursday. He will instead conduct a series of telerallies to support Republican candidates. The Republican National Committee announced the change Thursday evening, describing the plan as a 72-hour sprint designed to maximize the president's reach to voters nationwide.

The RNC said telerallies are planned for nearly 20 states, with additional locations potentially to be announced. Under this format, Trump is expected to speak for approximately 10 minutes per stop, compared to the 90 minutes or more he typically delivers at physical events. The shift comes with the midterm election on November 3 approaching, a contest that could determine control of Congress.

Trump traveled to South Carolina for the second time in a month to campaign with Senate candidate Darline Graham. Graham, who was appointed by Governor Henry McMaster in July following her brother Lindsey Graham's death, is facing a challenge from Democrat Annie Andrews. The state has not sent a Democrat to the Senate in nearly three decades, but Andrews is urging voters to seek change in an election year marked by frustration over the economy and the war in Iran.

According to a person familiar with the operation, the decision to switch to telerallies reflects a growing optimism among the president's team regarding Republican prospects. This sentiment is particularly strong in Kansas, where Democrat Adam Hamilton is mounting a competitive challenge to Senator Roger Marshall. Trump denied that the schedule change was due to illness, stating that he is not traveling to Kansas because Marshall is doing very well.

The president returned to the White House after his South Carolina appearance, where he projected confidence in the upcoming results. He told supporters, We're going to have a strong Tuesday night. Beyond South Carolina, Republicans are navigating tight contests in Texas, Ohio, Iowa, and Alaska. The Justice Department also issued subpoenas to California officials on Thursday to scrutinize local election administration, adding to the legal scrutiny of the voting process in the final days of the cycle.

In Alaska, the Justice Department escalated an investigation into the Democratic Senate campaign, issuing new grand jury subpoenas. This follows reports that the campaign appeared to be involved in recruiting another candidate with the same name as Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan. Trump called the development a conspiracy and called for Democrat Mary Peltola to be removed from the ballot. Peltola's campaign suggested the news was a distraction from issues such as Senator Sullivan's support of the war in Iran.

In Iowa, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Rob Sand urged voters in a suburb of Des Moines to act before the election to avoid post-election regret. Iowa Democrats have not held the governor's mansion since 2010. Sand told voters to expect a Republican Legislature and the governing challenges that come with divided government if he wins. He noted that both the far left and the far right would likely be disappointed by the outcome.