Harris vs. Trump: 'Georgia is on everybody's mind'
ATLANTA - As Vice President Kamala Harris spoke in downtown Atlanta at her first campaign rally as the presumptive Democratic nominee, former President Donald Trump's campaign began planning for his visit to Atlanta this coming weekend.
Trump will speak on the very same stage Harris addressed a crowd of about 10,000 at Georgia State University's Convocation Center Tuesday night. He will bring his pick for vice president, Ohio Sen. JD Vance.
One Republican strategist who spoke with FOX 5 Atlanta said that with Harris at the top of the ticket, the dynamics have certainly changed in Georgia.
"It’s wise for the Trump campaign and it’s wise for the Harris campaign to be focusing on Georgia," said Brian Robinson, who also serves as a panelist for Georgia Gang, Atlanta's longest-running public affairs broadcast on FOX 5 Atlanta.
Georgia has been living up to its status as a battleground state in the 2024 presidential election. Just a month ago, President Joe Biden's performance at the Atlanta debate against Trump changed the tides of the upcoming election.
"By having not only Trump, but having a dual rally with both Trump and Sen. Vance, you see that they’re ready to go toe-to-toe in Georgia," said Robinson. "They’re not taking Georgia for granted. They’re going to come here, and they’re going to compete, and they’re going to dig in. That’s very wise."
Trump, Vance to hold rally in Atlanta
Former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, will hold their first joint rally in Georgia. Like Vice President Kamala Harris, they will hold a rally at the Georgia State University Convocation Center on Saturday, in the release announcing the rally, the Trump campaign referred to the murder of nursing student Laken Riley.
At a rally in Nevada on Tuesday, Sen. JD Vance slammed Harris for the Democrats' record on immigration.
"If the failed borders czar wins, she’s not going to stop until every illegal immigrant has the right to vote, which is going to destroy your voice your country to make room for people who shouldn’t even be here," he claimed.
Attorney General Chris Carr also slammed Harris on X, calling her a "San Francisco leftist" who wanted to decriminalize illegal immigration.
Michael Whatley, the chairman of the Republican National Convention, wrote, "if she really cared about Georgia she would end the border bloodbath that led to the brutal murder of Laken Riley."
Harris address immigration question at Atlanta rally
Vice President Kamala Harris says she will resurrect a bill enforcing immigration, which she says her Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump killed as a political move. Her remarks were made during her rally at the Georgia State Convocation Center in Atlanta on July 30, 2024.
Kamala addressed their claims at her rally.
"I was the attorney general of a border state. In that job, I walked underground tunnels between the United States and Mexico on that border with law enforcement officers. I went after transnational gangs, drug cartels and human traffickers that came into our country illegally. I prosecuted them in case after case, and I won," she said.
Trump hit back on attacks from the left at a rally earlier in July after his assassination attempt.
"They keep saying, ‘He’s a threat to democracy.’ I keep thinking, ‘What the hell did I do to democracy? Last week, I took a bullet for democracy,’" he said.
Robinson said the Trump team's work in Georgia should be clear.
"He needs to emphasize the failure of the Biden administration, and pivot to his vision for rebuilding the economy," he said.
Sen. Raphael Warnock speaks at Harris rally in Atlanta
Sen. Raphael Warnock addressed more than 10,000 people at the Georgia State Convocation Center in Atlanta on July 30, 2024, ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris. Warnock talked about former President Donald Trump’s recent comments about Christians needing to vote only one more time.
One thing is for certain, Rev. Raphael Warnock stated during Harris' Atlanta rally: "Georgia is on everybody's mind."
Trump, Harris visits to Atlanta underscore importance of Black voters' support
"I am 100% sure when you see Donald Trump and J.D. Vance here on Saturday, you're going to see some direct appeals to Black voters," said Robinson. "Black voters are 30% of our electorate here in Georgia, and Biden was really struggling, particularly with Black men. Can Kamala Harris change that equation?"
RELATED: Harris vs. Trump: Black men hold special meeting in Atlanta to discuss 2024 election
Robinson said the other two key groups in Georgia's electorate are Gen-Z voters and white suburbanites.
MORE: Kamala Harris delivers virtual address at Atlanta Voters of Tomorrow Summit
Robinson also highlighted the unique aspects of Georgia as a swing state.
"What makes us different from the other swing states is our diversity," he said. "He needs to emphasize the failure of the Biden administration and pivot to his vision for rebuilding the economy."
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FOX 5 made multiple attempts to speak to a Georgia-based representative of the campaign Tuesday after it canceled an afternoon news conference.
A spokesperson for the Trump campaign said they have been actively preparing for Saturday's visit.