Trump targets Iowa and Kansas as GOP defends midterms

President Donald Trump concluded a two-hour speech in Dubuque, Iowa, before traveling to Salina, Kansas, to close out the midterm campaign.

The rallies aim to secure Republican control of the Senate and House as the party faces competitive races in states it has historically dominated. More than 54 million votes have already been cast. Trump told the crowd in Iowa, “We're going to elect ‘America first’ Republicans up and down the line.”

The strategy represents a shift from the 2024 cycle, when the focus was on flipping states that supported President Joe Biden in 2020. This year, voters are questioning the economic impact of tariffs and the war in Iran. The Republican effort is defensive, seeking to hold onto majorities that are at risk in both chambers.

Tensions emerged within the Democratic Party in Michigan, where a key Senate seat is contested. Representative Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers on Sunday after her onetime primary opponent, Abdul El-Sayed, rescinded an invitation to a Democratic event. Stevens said, “Our Democratic nominee for Senate said I was no longer welcome in his campaign and that I should stay away.”

Senate leaders moved to unify their base. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer stated the party was “united in our support” of El-Sayed. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who leads the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said the party would “stand firmly” behind the nominee. Senator Bernie Sanders, a strong supporter of El-Sayed, dismissed the notion of a divide on CBS' “Face the Nation.”

Michigan is a critical battleground for Democrats to retake the Senate. Losing the seat would force the party to win races in deeper Republican territory, including Texas, Kansas, Ohio, or Iowa. In Iowa, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Rob Sand held multiple events across the state on Sunday.

Republican officials offered mixed assessments of the race. Outgoing Representative Don Bacon warned that tariffs could weigh down the party in the Midwest. He told CNN's “State of the Union,” “Tariffs are not popular here in the Midwest.” Senator Tim Scott, chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, maintained confidence that Republicans would keep the Senate. He told NBC's “Meet the Press,” “His agenda, without any question, is on the ballot.”