Former President Trump to headline Georgia rally Saturday
ATLANTA - Former President Donald Trump will hold what he has billed as a "Save America Rally" Saturday in Perry, Georgia.
The event will be his first in the state since January when he campaigned for Republican Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue ahead of their runoffs. Both lost their races to their Democratic challengers.
"Trump is going to say, you know, 'You should miss me because I didn't have inflation. We were energy independent.' He's going to do down the line--he fights crime and so, I think you'll see a contrast that, 'Hey, I did it better and Biden's not doing anything, and Democrats in Georgia are just following Biden," explained Phil Kent, a Republican panelist on The Georgia Gang.
Ahead of Trump's visit, Georgia Democrats held a news conference condemning his continued claims of election fraud in 2020.
"We must continue to reject Trump and the Republican divisiveness, the lies, and toxic rhetoric," said state Rep. Miriam Paris, D-Macon.
A slew of Republican candidates will join the former president for the event including U.S. Senate hopeful Herschel Walker, Secretary of State candidate Jody Hice and Burt Jones, who is running for Lt. Governor in 2022.
Kent said President Trump's endorsement carries weight in Georgia.
"He's still a very beloved figure with the Republican base if you look at polling," said Kent.
Though the names the former president does not say on stage may be an even more interesting storyline. Earlier this year, Trump promised to campaign against Gov. Brian Kemp, R-Georgia, in 2022.
"I did go to some events with Donald Trump, Jr. and he carefully avoided mentioning Gov. Brian Kemp. Now, what will happen with his father, we do not know," Kent said. "But I think that they may be looking around for a candidate in the primary to primary Gov. Kemp, but it wouldn't be beyond political belief if there isn't a candidate and that Donald Trump and Brian Kemp have some sort of alliance next year."
Democrats, though, said they do not think President Trump's endorsement will help GOP candidates win in 2022.
"It is all of these other candidates that we see up and down the Republican ticket who are doing their level best to do whatever it is they need to do to try to get the blessing of Trump and what's so fascinating about that is we know that Georgians rejected Trump," said state Rep. Teri Anulewicz, D-Smyrna.
The rally begins Saturday at 7 p.m.
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