Early Vote Surges as Trump Rushes to Battleground States

President Donald Trump has scrapped his weekend itinerary to hold live rallies in Iowa and Kansas.

The change comes less than 24 hours after he canceled visits to those states. Trump said he received calls from allies who preferred an in-person event over a tele-rally. "They said, 'If you can go, you would be better than a tele-rally,'" he told reporters. The move aims to boost turnout in districts where early voting has jumped approximately 30% compared to 2022.

An Associated Press analysis shows nearly 10 million more Americans cast ballots five days before this election than at the same point in 2022. The surge is visible in states with close Senate contests. In Texas, more than 6.3 million voters cast ballots early by Wednesday, a 50% increase over four years ago. South Carolina, which is replacing the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, has seen early voting rise 83%. Both parties believe the high turnout will benefit their candidates as they battle for control of Congress.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department confirmed a criminal probe in Alaska into a candidate running under the same name as the Republican incumbent, Sen. Dan Sullivan. U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman said law enforcement assets were sent to the state after reports suggested Democratic candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign helped recruit Dan J. Sullivan. Peltola denied knowledge of the effort. The department plans to test ballots ranking the look-alike candidate to gauge voter confusion.

In Michigan, tensions flared again between Sen. Abdul El-Sayed and former rival Rep. Haley Stevens. Stevens, who lost the primary in August, criticized El-Sayed on social media for an ad linking support for Israel to grocery prices. "Abdul promises to get money out of politics," Stevens wrote. "He can begin by getting Israel out of his explanation for everything Michigan cannot afford." El-Sayed responded by urging Democrats to focus on defeating Republican opponent Mike Rogers.

Trump is scheduled to rally in Kansas and Iowa on Sunday. He will campaign for Sen. Roger Marshall and Rep. Ashley Hinson. In Kansas, he praised Marshall for pushing tax-free red-dyed diesel for farmers. In Iowa, he criticized Hinson’s opponent, Methodist pastor Adam Hamilton, calling him a "radical." The two states hold narrow Senate majorities that could determine Republican control of the chamber.

The President has headlined 25 rallies in October. He described his schedule as a marathon sprint to shore up Republican candidates. The next major stops will occur on Sunday in the two Midwestern states.