Trump heads to Kansas rally as farm costs weigh on some Republican voters
President Donald Trump is expected to address a Kansas rally on October 19 as farmers describe rising costs and some Republican voters voice frustration ahead of the midterms.
President Donald Trump is heading to Kansas on October 19 for a rally ahead of the midterm elections, as rising farm costs and frustration among some Republican voters pose a challenge for his party in the state. The Associated Press said he was expected to speak at 7 p.m. EDT; CBS News separately reported his planned visit.
Higher costs squeeze Kansas farmers
For Kansas farmers, the visit comes during the harvest, when they are combining fields, hauling crops and moving livestock. Glenn Brunkow, a fifth-generation farmer and president of the Kansas Farm Bureau, told the Associated Press that financial pressure seemed to be coming from all directions. The report described higher diesel, fertilizer and seed costs alongside unpredictable markets and shrinking profits.
The pressure extends beyond Kansas. Nationwide diesel averaged $6.30 a gallon on Friday, more than 70% above its level a year earlier, according to AAA figures cited by the Associated Press. A September Department of Agriculture forecast projected that net farm income would fall 2.6% this year while production expenses rose 4.5%; fuel and oil expenses alone were expected to jump nearly 30%.
Trump signed an executive order earlier this month easing limits on farmers' tax-free use of red-dyed diesel, the Associated Press reported. His administration had also announced a $12 billion farmer aid package in December. Brunkow, whose organisation endorsed Republican Senator Roger Marshall, said the economic strain did not necessarily mean agricultural producers would vote Democratic, but could dampen their enthusiasm for going to the polls.
Kansas Senate race adds stakes to rally
Marshall faces Democrat Adam Hamilton in a state Trump won by 16 percentage points in 2024. Democrats have not won a Kansas Senate election in 94 years, according to the Associated Press. Those figures show the scale of the challenge for Democrats, though interviews with individual voters cannot establish how widely frustration is shared across Kansas.
Don Hineman, a western Kansas rancher and former Republican state House majority leader, told the Associated Press he was hearing discontent beyond farming communities, including from people who had backed Trump in multiple elections. He cited tariffs, the war with Iran and recent immigration raids in western Kansas among the concerns he had encountered. The report said those raids resulted in more than 100 detentions.
Nortonville resident Debbie Geneva told the Associated Press she was undecided in the Senate race despite never having voted for a Democrat. Trump is also scheduled to travel to Iowa later this week, the Associated Press reported.
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Sources and context
- WATCH LIVE: Trump heads to rally in Kansas as Republican voters' frustrations deepenPBS NewsHour republishing Associated Press reporting
- Trump heads to Kansas to rally Republicans; Vance's stunning response about Iran attackCBS News; report by Aaron Navarro
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.