‘He’s doing very well’: President Trump responds to decision to cancel Salina rally

SALINA, Kan. (KWCH) — Thursday evening Update: President Donald Trump spoke to reporters Thursday afternoon about the decision to cancel a rally in Salina, Kan., on Halloween.

Saturday’s visit would have marked the president’s second trip to Kansas in two weeks to rally voters around Sen. Roger Marshall, the incumbent Republican who polls show is in an unexpectedly tight race with Adam Hamilton. Vice President JD Vance also made two trips to Kansas - Johnson County and Topeka, Kan.

The president said his decision to scrap the planned rally had nothing to do with Marshall’s electoral prospects — or his own stamina after a month of nonstop travel.

“I’m not going to Kansas because he’s doing very well,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews after arriving back from a campaign stop in South Carolina, speaking of the U.S. Senator from Kansas.

Advance voting data from the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office show 107,813 ballots have been mailed, 66,007 ballots have been returned and 262,515 people have voted in person.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Thursday morning Update: The Kansas Republican Party confirms that the rally in Salina featuring President Donald Trump has been canceled.

Rob Fillion, executive director for the Kansas Republican Party, said the president decided that he is going to host tele-town halls ahead of the Nov. 3 general election to reach more voters.

“Salina and Kansas are very important to our nation, but there are a lot of other races that are in play,” said Fillion, “and him being able to hit multiple locations at the same time is probably more valuable for his time.”

Fillion said those who had tickets and were planning to attend Saturday’s rally will be notified about the cancelation by email.

President Trump traveled to Kansas last week holding a rally in Park City, Kan. Vice President JD Vance made two trips to the Sunflower State appearing in Johnson County and Topeka, Kan.

Despite the president’s second trip being canceled, Fallion said the presence of the nation’s top elected officials shows that Kansas is important.

“It shows that Kansas is no longer a fly over state. We are important. We are the bedrock, the heartbeat of the country and we know that we can’t lose that. It’s appreciated and known at the national level,” Fallion said.

12 News reached out to the White House for further comment about the cancelation. They confirm: “President Trump will continue connecting directly with Americans nationwide through more than 20 telerallies before election day. Telerallies give him the opportunity to highlight his accomplishments and expand his reach across the country.”

“What it comes down to is the history and Republicans come home on Election Day,” said Fallion.

The president will be in Salina on Saturday for a rally at Salina Regional Airport meant to support Sen. Marshall and the Republican Party.

“The plan is actually to support up to 10,000 people,” said Peter Miller, executive director of the Salina Airport Authority. “The stage itself is going to be inside a hangar, but the arena that is being built is going to be in between two hangars.”

Here is what is known so far:

The event will take place at Hangar 509 at Salina Regional Airport on Saturday. Doors open at 8:30 a.m., with programming starting at 10:30 a.m. The president is scheduled to give remarks at noon.

Parking details are still being worked out, but guests will be bused to the hangars for the event.

State transportation officials recommend drivers consider extra travel time, as traffic delays along Interstate 70 and Interstate 135 are likely. Exact details for potential road closures and detours are still in the planning stages.

Early voting hours changed Saturday

With the president’s visit, Saline County has announced changes for early voting this Saturday.

Voting hours will now be 8 a.m. to noon. They were originally set from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Saline County building.

Voters are asked to use the south entrance. It will be the only open doors.