Trump visits Salina to re-elect Marshall in last rally of 2026 cycle
Visit was a last minute reversal of earlier canceled plans
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Sign up freePresident Donald Trump visited a cold and cloudy Salina, Kan., on Sunday, Nov. 1, to campaign for Kansas Republicans, including endangered Sen. Roger Marshall, in a last minute reversal of plans.
The visit, originally scheduled for Saturday, was scrapped on Thursday before being reinstated on Friday. Trump was set to do a tele-rally in Kansas before the new travel plans were announced.
This was Trump’s last in-person rally of the 2026 midterms, according to his official schedule. Trump is scheduled to do tele-rallies across the country on Nov. 2, but otherwise will spend the day in Washington, D.C. Trump is the first president to visit Salina since Gerald Ford in 1976.
A spokesperson for the GOP said that 2500 seats were filled inside the facility, with another 1500 estimated to have gathered outside to watch on a screen.
The visit comes as Sen. Marshall faces an unusually tight race against Adam Hamilton, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate. Recent polls have shown the two statistically tied or with Hamilton ahead, with political rating agencies saying that the race remains a toss-up.
Ty Masterson’s race for Governor against Cindy Holscher also was recently named a toss-up. U.S. House races in Kansas remain either likely or safely for the incumbent.
Before the rally, Marshall, Masterson, and other Republican candidates took to the stage to give speeches about the importance of voting. Senator Jerry Moran, who is not up for re-election until 2028, also joined them.
Moran told rally attendees to vote Republican, but did not explicitly endorse Marshall, Masterson, or any other Republican politician in Kansas up for election. To date, Moran has not done so, according to a Citizen Journal analysis of his public statements.
“This election is bigger than any candidate,” Moran said. “This election is bigger than any of us alone. This election is about control of the U.S. Senate.”
During his speech, Marshall said that agriculture, oil and gas, and manufacturing were the backbone of the Kansas economy.
“These are the best cattle markets in my entire time,” Marshall said. “I’m so grateful because nobody works harder than our farmers and ranchers.”
Attendees at the rally were excited to see Trump, but were less sure about the outcome of the election. One, Sue Long, said that she was pulling for Marshall, but wasn’t sure of the outcome.
“I’m praying so,” Long said. “I’m hoping sure, but I’m not sure. I hate to say it, but the news media can play it any way they’d like. We’ll all know when it’s over. When it’s done, it’s done.”
Another, Liz Wagner, said that she was at the rally because she loved President Trump.
“I think we’re going to pull it off,” Wagner said. “We’re rooting for [Sen. Marshall] big time, so we can only hope that he is.”
Guns, money and votes
Trump spoke for close to two hours, heading off stage just after 10 p.m.
During his speech, he attacked both Adam Hamilton and Cindy Holscher, and took aim at them for their gun ratings from the NRA. Both have received F ratings.
“Look, if you just took one point, that would mean they want to take your guns away,” Trump said. “You can be really bad and you get a D. Very few F’s.”
Trump also touted investments in manufacturing around the country, including in Kansas.
“The pharmaceutical company Merck is investing nearly $1 billion in De Soto to expand production and create thousands of new jobs,” Trump said. “Bombardier is investing $270 million to create jobs in Indiana, Texas, and Kansas, spending a lot of money. Boeing is investing one billion dollars in Wichita.”
Merck partnered with the State of Kansas for the expansion, according to the company’s press release. Bombardier, in their press release, said they were investing $50 million into new facilities and a learning center in Wichita for technicians.
Trump invited multiple politicians onto the stage while he was speaking, including Marshall and Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also made a surprise appearance.
“The most important job that a president has is keep your family safe,” Rubio said. “And no president in my lifetime has done a better job of that than what we have right now.”
Throughout his speech, Trump made rally attendees pledge to vote on Tuesday. He closed his time on stage by calling on rally-goers to vote for Marshall and other Republicans.
“These are good people,” Trump said. “We’ve already made unbelievable progress, and now we will reach new levels of greatness.”
Early voting is open until noon on Nov. 2, with polls opening on Election Day at 7:00 a.m.
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