I’m in Commerce for Trump’s rally for the seven Georgia Republicans he’s endorsed. Apparently, state Democrats are up here, too. Spotted outside the racetrack where thousands will soon gather are trucks emblazoned with: “Trump First Georgians Last.” #gapol
A Herschel Walker sighting in Commerce, where he’s surrounded by supporters seeking autographs and selfies. #gapol #gasen
Patrick Witt, who Trump is endorsing as part of an anti-Kemp vendetta, acknowledges few people in the crowd had ever heard of him let alone know he’s running for insurance commissioner. “I’m going to keep your insurance from going woke.” #gapol
A look at the scene surrounding the Trump rally:
John Gordon, another little-known candidate backed by Trump, calls his opponent “Chris Do-Nothing Carr” for not reversing the 2020 election results.
“I’m running because I witnessed the worst treatment of the best president of my entire lifetime.” #gapol
Former Democrat Vernon Jones, endorsed by Trump for a House seat to get him out of the gov race, opens: “I hear them about talking about a no fly zone in Ukraine. Let me tell you something. Donald Trump is the no fly zone.” #gapol
Live updates here: #gapol #gasen ajc.com/news/live-trum…
“My name is Herschel Walker and I’m winning a U.S. Senate seat.” The first issue the former football star invokes — “let’s get men out of women’s sports.”
“I’m running because it’s time for me to get out and fight.”
He’s punchier than I’ve heard him before. #gapol #gasen
More Walker: “If you’ve ever seen me play, I can play. If you’ve ever seen me fight, I can fight.” Walker doesn’t once mention Trump during his five-minute stump speech. #gapol #gasen
“It might be the year of the Dawg,” said LG candidate Burt Jones, another former Georgia player. He says he’s running to oust “weak-kneed” Republican politicians, and he vows to get rid of Dominion voting machines and ballot drop boxes if elected.
Next up: David Perdue, who earlier welcomed Trump’s visit by further embracing lies about widespread fraud in the 2020 election. #gapol ajc.com/politics/polit…
Perdue gets very tepid applause when he claims Kemp “sold us out” by landing the $5B Rivian electric vehicle plant that will bring 7,500+ jobs to the area. He gets a much louder reception when he talked of investigating the 2020 outcome: Chants of “lock him up” about Kemp. #gapol
Chrissy Maxwell of Newton, who wore a bejeweled denim Trump hat, said she'll vote for whomever Trump picks, no questions asked.
“I trust him to tell me what to do. Jesus and Trump. That’s who I listen to — and sometimes not in that order.” #gapol
ajc.com/news/live-trum…
Organizers just played the extended monologue of George C. Scott from the movie “Patton” to rev up the crowd at the Trump rally … #gapol
“We’re going to throw out a very, very sad situation that took place: Your RINO governor Brian Kemp,” says Trump, adding that Perdue got “screwed” in the 2020 election. “Brian Kemp — he sold you out.”#gapol
Trump says the crowd goes “as far as the eye can see” behind the TV risers. Ehhh … not so much. #gapol
This crowd is hardly applauding. Not the same sort of enthusiasm I’ve seen at other Trump rallies.
“If Kemp wins I think Herschel Walker will be very seriously and negatively impacted,” says Trump of the GOP nomination, a clip Democrats are sure to save. #gapol #gasen
Fair point. Since that tweet the crowd has erupted into major applause twice — when Trump indicated he would run again in ‘24 and when he said he was putting on a hat because it was cold. #gapol
Trump gets very, very light applause when he reminds the crowd he supports the stalled effort to allow Buckhead to split from Atlanta and create its own municipality. This is rural northeast Georgia, and few in the crowd seem to care. #gapol
And there are plenty of Buckhead cityhood advocates who don’t welcome Trump’s help … #gapol #atlpol ajc.com/politics/polit…
Folks are starting to file out …
Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz just said he’d nominate Trump to be the next speaker of the US House. #gapol
Said Kemp spokesman @CodyHallGA of the attacks against the governor by Trump and David Perdue:
“Governor Kemp is focused on making sure Stacey Abrams is never our governor or the next president.” #gapol
Text from a grassroots conservative activist in Georgia who formerly supported Trump after that rally:
Both Warnock and Abrams hope to reap the rewards from Trump’s rally in Georgia. The two Democrats issued immediate fundraising appeals. #gapol
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