President Donald J. Trump left the White House on Sunday for a campaign rally in Kansas, where he is set to deliver remarks in support of Senator Roger Marshall. The rally is part of a broader push by the president to boost Republican candidates ahead of the midterm elections.
Trump Says His Rallies Are Shifting the Political Map
Before departing, the president held a press conference and spoke about the impact of his rallies. "Wherever I go, they seem to be up," Trump said, referring to Republican candidates. "I have the biggest rallies that anybody's ever seen. The impact houses. We have thousands and thousands of people today. And beyond the house, the broadcast all over. And my rallies are having a huge impact and a positive impact on the Republican Party."
He highlighted specific races, including Senate contests in Ohio, Texas, and Alaska, and said he was going to Kansas because he wanted Senator Marshall to win "by a lot."
Trump Criticizes Zelensky, Calls for New Ukrainian Negotiator
The president also addressed the ongoing war in Ukraine, criticizing its leader. "Zelensky doesn't know what he's talking about," Trump said. "Zelensky is a man that should have this more settled a long time ago. If he would have listened to me, he would have made a much better deal a long time ago. And he'd have a million people living from his side."
Trump emphasized the human cost of the conflict, saying, "I want to see the war stuck. You're losing tremendous numbers of mostly young military men. And that means 25,000 to 35,000 a month. All I want is for Russia, and you've been the stop of that stupid war."
He then suggested it might be time for a change in negotiating posture. "Maybe it's time for Zelensky to get somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine," Trump said.
Border Security and Iran Featured in Q&A
Trump also touched on his administration's border policies. "We have closed borders. Nobody comes in. And we're getting all the people out, all the people that came in and they came in. They're coming out," he said.
On Iran, the president noted, "We also have a very good situation with respect to Iran. Playing off the rant is nice because we're having a rant very hard. You know, economically, it's well and militarily and Russia has done nothing there that we can see. I think that's a great positive. And of course we're negotiating with him on the great. So I'm not looking to break up the negotiations right in the middle."
Crowds Gather in Kansas for the President's Arrival
Rapid Response 47 shared a video from the rally site showing excited supporters. "All right, we're going to keep moving. As you can see, the line is just wrapping around the building. People are so excited to see the president," a narrator said. "We got the wind whipping, but it doesn't stop anybody. And everybody's wrapped up in their MAGA best, their blankets, their hats."
The White House posted simply, "NEXT STOP: KANSAS 🇺🇸" alongside an image of Air Force One.
