Trump scraps two late midterm rallies and lashes out at reporter who asked if he was tired

US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump is scrapping two of his last midterm election rallies, his Republican Party said Thursday, as the 80-year-old leader lashed out at a reporter who asked if he was tired of travelling.

Instead of the events in Kansas and Iowa, Trump will hold a “large number” of virtual “telerallies” in a series of states, the Republican National Committee said.

Republicans are fighting to keep control of Congress in the 3 November midterms. Trump has urged the party to “pretend I’m on the ballot” to maximise turnout despite his poor approval ratings.

“With Republicans in a strong position in Kansas and Iowa, previously planned in-person rallies in those states will no longer take place as scheduled,” the RNC statement said.

Trump’s final election rally is now set to be in Florida on Friday.

Despite being the oldest elected president in US history, Trump has kept up a gruelling schedule of near-daily rallies throughout October to help Republicans in the midterms.

Trump slammed a reporter on Thursday when asked if he was cancelling Saturday’s planned Kansas rally because he was “sick of travelling.”

“You’re sick to ask that question. You are sick,” Trump told the reporter after returning to Washington from a campaign trip to South Carolina.

“I feel perfect. You are disgusting. Put yourself in shape, you look like hell.”

Corruption

Democrats head into the midterm elections with high expectations, as the party of a sitting president historically loses seats, Trump’s approval ratings are at record lows, and there is broad discontent over high prices.

Meanwhile, a Gallup poll released in September showed 89% of Americans believe there is widespread government corruption in the United States – 10 percentage points higher than last year and the highest level in 20 years.

The spikes in perceptions of corruption were most elevated among Democrats, according to the poll.

Trump “is very much focused on enriching himself and his family and his cronies,” former president Barack Obama told a rally Wednesday in Georgia. “The guy has made billions of dollars while in office.”

“We have never seen a president so intent on selling favours like this,” Obama added, echoing a speech he made days earlier in Michigan, another swing state.