As @KLoeffler attempts to fire up the crowd in Valdosta - asking them to “vote early” and “request an absentee ballot”.. the crowd responds with chants of “stop the steal!!” #gasen#gapol
Today in series of tweets President Trump has attacked the signature match system in Georgia- a key part of its absentee ballot process.
Sign at tonight’s rally reads:
“Request your absentee ballot right now!”
The two candidates on the ballot in this vitally important #GASen runoff, spoke from the stage for a grand total of roughly 10 minutes. Their speeches came an hour and a half before Trump is expected to take the stage.
President Trump takes the stage in Valdosta w/ First Lady Melania Trump.
Originally Perdue and Loeffler were introduced with them, but they did not join them on stage. #gasen#gapol
First thing President Trump tells the crowd->
“You know we won Georgia right?”
Trump makes it clear to the crowd they need to support Loeffler and Perdue and said the stakes are high..
But with in seconds warns the GOP Sec of State better do his job and says that GOP Gov. Brian Kemp “needs to get a little tougher.”
Crowd breaks out to a “Stop the Steal” chant.
Trump now listing off a long list of reasons why his past electoral success/ percentage of vote in certain demo groups/ and GOP polls show “evidence” that he actually won.
He doesn’t mention that Biden received more... ya know... votes.
Trump claims evidence that Biden couldn’t have possibly won the election because the President-Elect didn’t receive that many views on the live stream of his Thanksgiving address.
In response to another “Stop the Steal” chant.. Trump responds:
“Your governor could stop it right now if he wanted to!”
Trump keeps promising he will “get back” to the Presidential race in a moment.. and that he needs to talk about the Senate race..
But then he keeps talking about the Presidential election he claims was stolen.
Trump is seemingly focused on the runoff- but isn’t mentioning Perdue or Loeffler that much. He just is listing off a dystopian view of the world should Democrats get control of the Senate.
Back to the Presidential election.
Trump now claiming he “won” Wisconsin..
But then said “If” he lost it was because of “suppression” polls kept his supporters from voting.
Trump then claims he is only fighting the results because of how much evidence fraud there is. He claims he must fight back..
“If I lost I’d be a very gracious loser.. I’d go to Florida and drift off...”
Trump just gave his most emphatic plea to his supporters to vote for Perdue and Loeffler.
“Georgia patriots need to get out and vote for these two great Senators.”
Here is Trump’s full quote about being a “gracious loser”
via/ @DJJudd:
As off the tracks as this speech has been at times, there are very few voters that will watch it from stem to stern. There is more than enough here for ad makers and social media producers to clip pieces demonstrating Trump’s support for the GOP duo.
More than an hour into his remarks Trump calls Perdue and Loeffler on stage.
Both candidates don’t talk up their credentials but instead heap praise on Trump.
Perdue promises “we are gonna win these two states and then make sure you get a fair shake.”
While Perdue and Loeffler tried to speak (and it was brief). The crowd interrupted with screams of “stop the steal.” As they left the stage the crowd chanted:
“Fight for Trump!”
Keep in mind Trump’s election is over. These two are the ones who need help.
Trump now playing Newsmax clips with reporters making unfounded claims of voter fraud in Georgia.
This after he spent more than an hour begging them to vote in January.
At roughly the 85 minute mark of his speech- President Trump:
“Your governor should be ashamed of himself.”
Trump asks Rep. Doug Collins-
“Hey Doug- you want to run for Governor in two years?”
Brian Kemp is widely expected to run for re-election in 2022.
Trump wraps after more than 90
minutes..
This was my 24th Trump rally of 2020.
I thought I could no longer be surprised.
I’ve never seen anything like what we witnessed tonight. I
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The AJC's great reporter Greg @bluestein presses @KLoeffler twice on wether the November election was "rigged". She refuses to answer directly- but pivots to stay that there are "issues" that need to be looked into.
Asked pointed questions about his remarks about police and the military from the pulpit of his church, @ReverendWarnock promises that he will be an ally of law enforcement and work to bridge gaps between police and the community.
On the ground in Georgia today in support of the GOP Candidates in the #GASen runoff- @GOPChairwoman Ronna McDaniel.
McDaniel speaking to a crowd in Marietta. Neither of the two Republicans candidates are here with her.
She promises “I’m gonna be in your state so much.”
Mocking Dem candidate @ReverendWarnock- McDaniel tells the crowd not to be swayed by Warnock’s ads with his dog.
“Just because there is a nice looking man with a dog licking his face- that doesn’t mean we should vote for him.”
McDaniel now taking questions from supporters.. and they are ALL about Trump’s claims the election was run fraudulently.
We are awaiting President Trump in Macon, GA for what will be his third event of the day. State Rep. Vernon Jones- a noted Trump supporter who is black and a Democrat proclaimed that “President Trump has created more jobs for African-Americans going back to probably slavery.”
Sen. David Perdue in a tough re-election fight just told the crowd that President Donald Trump's election was "providential" and suggested God had a hand in electing Trump as President.
Perdue then warned the crowd of a potential liberal take over of government with "Bernie and Elizabeth and Kah-mah-la or Kah-ma-la or Kamamboamamla or however you say it." (Perdue has served with Kamala Harris in the Senate for 3 years)
Scenes from today’s Trump rally in Greenville, NC:
*A sign asking people to wear masks (few are)
*A t-shirt touting “herd immunity”
*A t-shirt calling for the US to “invade Greenland”.
Not pictured- organizers asking rally goers to cover up shirts that say “F**ck your feelings.”
North Carolina is as important as any state on the map for President Trump. He won here by 4pts in 2016. A NYTimes/ Siena poll this morning shows him trailing by 4pts.
President Trump just called former North Carolina Congressman Mark Meadows on stage to cheers. Touting Meadows.. Trump said “I just test positive and Mark didn’t care he jumped on that helicopter. Why? He’s from North Carolina!”
NEW- In ongoing call with Governors- President Trump is scolding their response to the crisis.
Trump blamed protests on "radical left" and then said:
“The only time it's successful is when you’re weak and most of you are weak.”
MORE- on call Illinois @GovPritzker called Trump out for his rhetoric:
“I have been extraordinarily concerned with the rhetoric coming out of the WH is making it worse. People are feeling real pain out there. We have to have national leadership in calling for calm."
Trump responded to Pritzker:
"I don’t like your rhetoric either."
THREAD.. apologies in advance.. I've covered the @BernieSanders since December of '18. Indulge me as I take a look back at the roller coaster ride of a campaign that ended today.
First off- a HUGE thanks to @AnnieGrayerCNN & @GregJKrieg my teammates that made the job easy.
My first story on the Sanders beat was before he announced his candidacy. A tense meeting in mid- January with former staffers to reconcile sexual harassment accusations from the 2016 campaign.
Sanders officially announced about a month later.. and made his presence known with a huge fundraising haul in the first 24 hours.
Funny aside- we national reporters had a 7am embargo and all got scooped on the official announcement by VT Public Radio.