After Florida, Trump Redirects Final Push to Kansas and Iowa
President Donald Trump rallied supporters in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Friday night, urging Republicans to vote in the midterm elections that will decide control of Congress. Speaking for about an hour and a half at the Ocean Center Arena, Trump called them "the most important midterm elections ever" and campaigned for Florida Republicans including Byron Donalds and Ashley Moody. Several protesters interrupted the start of the speech and were escorted out as thousands of supporters shouted them down.
A Canceled Weekend, Then a Sunday Doubleheader
Early Voting Surge Puts Battlegrounds in Focus
The reversal comes as Americans vote early in large numbers. Nearly 10 million more ballots had been cast five days before Election Day than at the same point in 2022, according to an Associated Press analysis of voting data. The increases have been especially pronounced in states with competitive Senate races, including Iowa and Kansas, where early voting is up roughly 30%. Republicans are entering the final days navigating tight Senate contests in Texas, Kansas, Ohio, Iowa and Alaska, alongside closely watched races in Mississippi.
DeSantis Warning Hangs Over the Florida Send-Off
As Trump prepared for the Daytona Beach rally, Gov. Ron DeSantis warned on X that Republicans were "underperforming" in early voting in Polk County, a GOP-friendly county between Orlando and Tampa. He noted a 60,000-voter registration advantage in the county, which went for Republicans by 30 points four years ago — a reminder that turnout, not registration, decides the outcome.
What Comes Next: Two Rallies and Dozens of Calls
On Saturday, the campaign's tele-rallies will target 19 states, including Senate battlegrounds such as Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio, Texas and South Carolina, plus House and gubernatorial battlegrounds including Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Trump himself heads to Kansas and Iowa on Sunday. Former President Bill Clinton campaigned for Democratic Senate candidate Scott Colom in Tupelo, Mississippi, on Friday, Oct. 30, as both parties make their final get-out-the-vote appeals before Tuesday, Nov. 3.
