Trump targets Iowa and Kansas as Michigan Democrats fracture

Midterm election season enters its final days with President Donald Trump campaigning in states he has previously won by wide margins. The president is making a final push to secure Republican control of both chambers of Congress.

Trump spent two hours speaking in Dubuque, Iowa, on Sunday before traveling to Salina, Kansas. He told the Iowa crowd that Republicans were close to winning every major race on Tuesday. "We're going to elect ‘America first’ Republicans up and down the line," he said. More than 54 million votes have already been cast in this election.

The campaign strategy differs sharply from the 2024 presidential race. Trump is focusing on solidly Republican states rather than trying to flip former Democratic holdouts. Voters are questioning the economic impact of his tariff policies and the war in Iran. This shift marks a defensive posture for the GOP as they aim to keep their House and Senate majorities.

Democrats in Michigan face internal conflict as they try to retake the Senate. Rep. Haley Stevens, the former opponent of Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, endorsed Republican Mike Rogers on Sunday. Stevens said she received an invitation to a Democratic event that was later rescinded. "Our Democratic nominee for Senate said I was no longer welcome in his campaign and that I should stay away," Stevens said in a video. "And he’s right. And that’s why I am endorsing Mike Rogers for the United States Senate today."

Party leaders moved to unify their base in Michigan. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the party was united in its support for El-Sayed. Senate Democratic Campaign Committee Chair Kirsten Gillibrand said the party would stand firmly behind El-Sayed and reject efforts to divide Democrats. Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, a key supporter of El-Sayed, said on CBS' "Face the Nation" that he understood Stevens' frustration after a close primary loss but believed voters would stand with El-Sayed.

Michigan is a critical battleground for the Senate. If Democrats lose that seat, they will need to win races in states like Texas, Ohio, or Kansas to regain control. The state's outcome will determine the strength of the Democratic presence in the upper chamber next year.

Supporters in Iowa expressed confidence in the president's second term. Jon Lutz, a 60-year-old civil engineer from Dubuque, attended his first rally on Sunday. "He’s done what he’s said he’s going to do," Lutz said. "I want him to keep going." Wendy Kuenzler, a 44-year-old from Burlington, said she supports Senate nominee Ashley Hinson and does not blame Trump for rising gas and grocery prices. "He's on the path to correcting it," Kuenzler said.

Some Republicans expressed caution about the party's direction. Outgoing Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska told CNN that tariffs are unpopular in the Midwest. "Tariffs are not popular here in the Midwest," Bacon said. "I tried telling the president that." He predicted a debate within the party if Republicans suffer major losses. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, remained optimistic on NBC's "Meet the Press." "There's no doubt that President Trump has said himself that the midterm election is about him," Scott said.