President Donald Trump abruptly canceled a planned campaign rally in Kansas just days before the midterm elections, raising fresh questions about Republicans' prospects of maintaining their grip on the Senate.
Trump was scheduled to appear on Saturday at the Salina Regional Airport to boost Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS), who is now facing a surprisingly tough reelection fight against Democrat Adam Hamilton.
However, the Kansas Republican Party confirmed Thursday that the rally was off, with the White House announcing that Trump would instead hold virtual campaign events, The Hill reports.
"President Trump will continue connecting directly with Americans nationwide through more than 20 telerallies before Election Day," a White House official told the news outlet. "These events give him the opportunity to highlight his accomplishments and expand his reach across the country."
The cancellation coincided with worrying new polling for Marshall. A CNN survey released Thursday showed Hamilton leading the Republican incumbent 49% to 45%, although the four-point advantage fell within the poll's margin of error.
As we reported last week, Republicans are facing the daunting possibility of losing a Kansas Senate seat that Democrats have not won since 1932.
Fox News' latest Power Rankings rate control of the Senate a toss-up, with Democrats favored in 48 seats, Republicans in 46, and six races still up for grabs.
In an interview with Fox Business, Marshall conceded he's facing a tough reelection fight and blamed soaring energy costs as his biggest hurdle.
"Well, no, I think it's the price of gasoline," Marshall told Fox Business when asked why the race remained so competitive. "It's that simple."
Marshall also blamed negative media coverage of President Donald Trump for shaping perceptions of the economy.
"The national media, the legacy media has just beat the heck out of President Trump now for, what, 10 years, and despite what's really a pretty strong economy here in Kansas, the legacy media is just telling you the sky is falling," the senator said.
The national polling shows why the senator's concerned.
An ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos survey found that 71% of Americans consider gasoline unaffordable, compared with 28% in February. A Pew Research Center survey also found that 74% of Americans are very concerned about gasoline and energy prices, up from 43% in January.
