Kansas, North Carolina Races Test Voter Confidence

President Donald Trump campaigned for Republican Sen. Roger Marshall in Park City, Kansas, as a poll found 71% of U.S. adults thought the country was on the “wrong track,” the highest share yet in Trump's second term. Vice President JD Vance traveled to North Carolina to back Republican Jennifer Balkcom in a competitive congressional race. Both campaigns played out as voters voiced discontent and candidates disputed claims about borders, economic conditions and the country’s direction.

Battleground races and voter mood

Marshall faced Democrat Adam Hamilton in a tight Senate race. Trump won Kansas by more than 16 points in the 2024 presidential election, but the nonpartisan Cook Political Report shifted the Senate contest toward the Democrat and called it a “toss-up.” NBC News described it as competitive but leaning toward the GOP. Hamilton had endorsements from several former Republican and Democratic governors.

The NBC News Decision Desk Poll powered by SurveyMonkey also found that the share of respondents saying the country was on the “right track” had dropped into the 20s for the first time in Trump's second term. The poll described a grim national mood for Republicans ahead of the midterm elections. Respondents expressed deep unhappiness with economic conditions and widespread distrust of both major parties, with Trump and Republicans taking the brunt.

A majority of respondents viewed the president's administration as uniquely corrupt, while also expressing skepticism about corruption in both parties. They said Trump wasn't improving their material financial conditions. The poll reported public sentiment; it didn't establish a specific cause for those views.

Vance traveled to North Carolina to campaign for Jennifer Balkcom, who faced Democrat Jamie Ager in the 11th Congressional District. NBC News described the House contest as among the most competitive in the country. Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., ended his re-election campaign in the district after an accusation of sexual harassment, which he denied.

North Carolina also had a battleground Senate race, with Democrat Roy Cooper facing Republican Michael Whatley. In the governor's race, Republican Ty Masterson and Democrat Cindy Holscher were competing to replace Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who was term-limited.

Campaign claims and unanswered questions

At the Kansas rally, Trump faced interruptions at least twice less than five minutes into his remarks. Some protesters were removed, and Trump called them “paid protesters.” Marshall spoke about “radical Islam” and rioting in France, then said Hamilton and Democrats would open the border, weaken the military and raise taxes.

Marshall said Republicans would “give you secure borders, a strong military and lower taxes.” He didn't discuss what he would do for Kansas if re-elected. Border security and military strength anchored his campaign argument, while the coverage left his specific plans for the state unstated.

Trump defended Marshall after an article reported that Marshall sued hundreds of patients over unpaid debts while practicing as a physician. Trump said the reporting made Marshall, who is not Jewish, out to be “some kind of a shylock-type guy,” a term widely recognized as offensive toward Jewish people. The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Trump used the same slur last year in a speech about exploitative bankers while promoting his domestic policy bill; some Jewish groups denounced its use.

Trump also addressed Saturday’s crash at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita. A car drove through a youth soccer game, killing a 6-year-old boy and a 35-year-old man. Trump expressed sympathy for the victims, called the crash “horrible” and said investigators “want to get to the bottom of what happened.” He said law enforcement would receive whatever help it needed.

Police said the driver, a 34-year-old woman from Kansas, was cooperating and had a child playing soccer on a different field at the complex. Authorities took her into custody and later released her; they hadn't identified or charged her with a crime. The cause remained under investigation, with examinations of the vehicle and toxicology testing of the driver pending.

U.S.-Ukraine discussions

Officials from the United States and Ukraine were expected to meet in Norway that week for another round of negotiations, according to sources familiar with the matter. Reuters first reported the expected meeting. Recent actions by Trump in favor of Russia had prompted questions from Congress and U.S. allies about the administration's mediation efforts.

Ukraine said Kyiv had come under attack by Russian ballistic missiles the previous day and again received no early warning from the United States and its partners, for the third time in recent days. Ukraine also said it faced speed restrictions on Starlink and Starshield, SpaceX's military version of the service, without an explanation from the Trump administration.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told a bipartisan House and Senate delegation in a virtual address that “some political decision has been made to slow down support for us.” He said this was “in sharp contrast to what we are achieving on the battlefield” and that he had discussed the matter with President Trump's representatives. Zelenskyy said Ukraine was in “constant contact” with Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Ukrainian officials hoped to meet them “maybe in Norway in the coming days.” The Norwegian Embassy in Washington didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.