In ruby-red Kansas, Trump contemplates the possibility of a Democratic win in the state

President Donald Trump held his first Kansas campaign rally in eight years on Monday, appearing before roughly 5,000 people near Wichita to boost Republican Senator Roger Marshall. The visit signals Republican anxiety ahead of the November 3 midterms: no Democrat has taken a Senate seat from Kansas since 1932, yet polls show Marshall tied with Democrat Adam Hamilton. Trump himself conceded the state is drifting toward purple, noting it already has a Democratic governor, Laura Kelly, according to The Guardian.

Hamilton, a former Republican, founded a United Methodist church with 24,000 members and opposes Trump's tariffs. He reportedly collected $11m in the third quarter, while Marshall, an obstetrician and former congressman, took in $800,000. Marshall called his rival too woke for the state. Trump branded Hamilton a radical left lunatic, made several unsupported accusations against him, and falsely linked Abdul El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood. He also attacked Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, and blamed immigrants for unrest in France without evidence.

Kansas farmers face diesel near $6 a gallon because of the Iran war, and ranchers were angered by Trump's beef import tariff plan and immigration raids. He announced $8bn in diesel aid for farmers.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Guardian’s reporting. Read the full story at The Guardian →