Some Republicans are privately celebrating after President Donald Trump abruptly canceled his weekend rallies in Iowa and Kansas, opting instead to hold a series of tele-rallies in the final stretch before the midterm elections. Tele-rallies let a campaign address supporters in multiple states from one location, without the travel, venue, and security logistics of a live event — a tool campaigns have used in past closing stretches to cover more ground quickly.

CNN's Kaitlan Collins reported on The Source Thursday that sources indicated some Republican officials are "relieved" to see the president staying home. With the in-person events scrapped, one top GOP official was quoted as saying, "Thank God, he hasn't moved the needle anywhere." Another was quoted as saying, "Everyone has seen the president who wants to see him."

The White House has sought to put a positive spin on the shift to virtual events. In a statement to the Daily Beast, an official said:

"President Trump will continue connecting directly with Americans nationwide through more than 20 telerallies before Election Day. These events give him the opportunity to highlight his accomplishments and expand his reach across the country."

The news comes as a number of GOP candidates have put distance between themselves and Trump in light of his unpopularity. Midterm elections fall at the midpoint of a president's term, with every House seat and roughly a third of the Senate on the ballot — and historically, the party holding the White House has usually lost congressional seats in them. With a Democratic sweep of Congress seen as a strong possibility in next week's midterms, Trump clashed with a reporter on Oct. 29 over the canceled campaign stop in Kansas.

"Oh, you're sick to ask that question. You are sick," the president told the Reuters correspondent when pressed on whether the trip was called off because he was "sick of traveling."

"Look at this guy. He's way out of shape," Trump said. "You know what the reason is? I don't feel I have to go to Kansas. I'm going to Florida tomorrow" for a Friday rally in Daytona Beach. "You've been following me for two weeks. I feel perfect. You are disgusting. Put yourself in shape. You look like hell."

Collins described the reporter's question as "straightforward," noting that he was not implying Trump was ill. She added that it "says a lot" that the president snapped at a question concerning his health, and she played a supercut of Trump speaking about the toll his packed campaign rally schedule has taken on him.

Trump has headlined more than two dozen rallies in the final stretch of the midterm drive to fire up the MAGA base, but in places like Kansas his approval ratings are underwater in the polls — a risk for the candidates he is trying to boost.

The event in Salina, scheduled for Oct. 31, was canceled on the 29th, and the Republican National Committee has said there will be no rally in Iowa on Nov. 1 either. With the White House billing more than 20 tele-rallies before Election Day, whether further in-person stops are added or scrapped in the campaign's final days will become clear as the vote approaches.