President Donald Trump is due at Dalton Municipal Airport in Georgia on Friday, with a 3 p.m. Eastern start time, to rally for Rep. Mike Collins. The two Republicans are trying to unseat Sen. Jon Ossoff, a Democrat, and the polls say they have ground to make up: several show Ossoff ahead by 8 to 10 percentage points. The stop is part of a midterm blitz.
The pitch
Trump says his earlier rallies have set candidates up for success. “We had a big day in Arizona and Montana,” he said. “I think we got a lot of people elected today. The crowds were massive.” He says he is giving the effort his all and putting his administration’s record on display. “It’s a golden age of America, and the Iran War will end very soon,” he said.
Republicans are increasingly aiming to keep as many Senate seats as they can. Most polls suggest holding the House looks out of reach. The president is also visiting states that have traditionally been easy wins, among them Texas, Ohio and Kentucky.
What Montana looked like
Crowds started lining up at Majestic Valley Arena in Kalispell more than seven hours before Trump landed in the Flathead Valley on Wednesday. “It’s not everyday you get to see the president,” said Gayla Pettyjohn, 77. “This will likely be my only chance.” She had already voted, she said, Republican all the way down, which is how Trump told supporters to vote that evening.
He had come straight from an Arizona rally. “Ladies and gentlemen of Montana, the golden age of America is upon us,” he said. “But you must get out and vote Republican if we’re going to keep it that way.” The swing covers reliably Republican states with competitive federal races, including Alaska, Arizona and Ohio. In Montana, the target was to turn out voters for House candidate Aaron Flint, who faces Democrat Sam Forstag, and Senate candidate Kurt Alme.
Trump also announced that the Department of War will build a military “super range” in Montana to test advanced weapons and technology, including autonomous weapons, space systems, electronic warfare and supersonic and hypersonic weapons. He credited Montana’s Republican senators, Tim Sheehy and Steve Daines, for pushing the investment: “Steve and Tim, they were brutal. You know, I gave it just to get them to stop calling me.”
Over about an hour he ran through his record from two nonconsecutive terms. Of Iran, he said: “One way or the other, it’s going to end very quickly, and when that happens, oil is going to come way down.” The visit came as Americans worry about affordability and as Trump’s approval ratings fall nationwide. Montana remains one of his most dependable bases. He carried the state by 21%, 16% and 20% in the last three presidential elections.
Europe, too
Asked by Adnkronos about clashes between students and police in Italy and France, Trump said: “The protests in Italy and France? It’s the fault of immigration, I said so.” He added: “It’s a powder keg ready to explode.”
Sources
- Trump to hold Georgia rally for Collins amid midterm push
- Trump announces 'super range' military base on Montana stump
- Protests, Trump to AdnKronos: "In Italy and France it's the fault of immigration, I said so"
Photo: The White House from Washington, DC (Public domain)
