Trump visits Iowa, Kansas two days out, blasts Democrats and calls for base turnout; House speaker dismisses polls as 'fake'; Trump to close campaign with Washington speech Monday eve

President Donald Trump leaves the stage after speaking at a campaign rally at the Five Flags Center in Dubuque, Iowa, Sunday (local time). [AFP]
President Donald Trump leaves the stage after speaking at a campaign rally at the Five Flags Center in Dubuque, Iowa, Sunday (local time). [AFP]

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President Donald Trump visited competitive Senate battlegrounds Sunday (local time), two days before the midterm elections, urging supporters to turn out and rally behind Republican candidates.

Speaking in Dubuque, Iowa, Trump told the crowd, "We are going to elect America First Republicans everywhere," adding that "all I'm asking is that you go out and vote." Trump then attacked the opposing party, saying "the Democratic Party is completely corrupt" and warning that voters must stop "communists and jihadists who hate America from taking over the country."

Trump promoted his tariff policy as a driver of foreign investment, saying companies from "Canada, Mexico, Germany, Japan and South Korea are coming back." Trump also sought to reassure the public that energy and consumer prices would soon fall, while blaming inflation on the previous Democratic administration. Trump again likened the spike in oil prices stemming from the war with Iran to "a small price to pay for security."

Trump welcomed the news that Haley Stevens, a moderate Democrat who lost her party's primary for a Michigan Senate seat, had publicly endorsed the Republican candidate after a falling-out with progressive rival Abdul El-Sayed. "I'd love for Stevens to join the Republican Party," Trump said.

Trump also praised Iowa's Republican Senate candidate Ashley Hinson, complimenting her on losing weight and achieving what he called a perfect figure. Trump has made increasingly frequent remarks about the physical appearances of Republican figures in recent weeks.

House Speaker Mike Johnson joined Trump at the Iowa rally. Johnson dismissed polling showing Republican difficulties, telling the crowd: "It's not over. The corrupt media is using fake polls. We decide this on Monday." The remarks were aimed at energizing the base after multiple surveys suggested Republicans could lose not only the House but also the Senate to Democrats.

Trump then traveled to Kansas for another campaign rally. Both Iowa and Kansas — states with large agricultural sectors — backed Trump by margins of more than 10 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election, but Republican candidates have been struggling ahead of the midterms.

Trump plans to speak in front of the Reflecting Pool in Washington on Monday, the eve of the midterms. The Iowa and Kansas stops mark the end of his candidate-specific campaign travel; in Washington, Trump is expected to promote an urban modernization project he has pursued in the capital while again calling on voters to support Republican candidates.

Since October, Trump has held 28 campaign rallies across the country through Sunday in a grueling schedule. The Iowa and Kansas stops had originally been canceled, but Trump revived them after questions arose over whether the cancellations reflected concerns about the physical toll of campaigning at his age.


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