Trump Defends Sen. Marshall's Patient Lawsuits at Kansas Rally as Senate Race Tightens

President Donald Trump said at a Kansas rally on Monday that Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, a physician, was legally required to pursue patients for unpaid medical bills and had been treated unfairly. Trump said Marshall would have faced criminal arrest and liability otherwise. The Kansas City Star wrote that no federal or state law requires doctors to sue patients over unpaid debt. The New York Times reported that Marshall, an OB-GYN, sued more than 700 patients, and dozens were arrested for missing court dates. Experts said such aggressive collection is rare. Marshall, seeking a second term, is in a tight race with Democrat Adam Hamilton, who leads in many polls. Separately, an MS NOW analysis of FEC filings found his campaign reported no payroll last quarter, unlike most Senate incumbents.

Right-leaning outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing; left-leaning and alternative/independent outlets had. On the left, HuffPost leads with a fact-check of Trump's claim, citing the Kansas City Star and The Hill, while MS NOW focuses on the campaign's payroll filings. Newsweek, in the alternative group, profiles Marshall's wife Laina, their four children, his medical and military background, and his campaign priorities.