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Trump and Vance in Atlanta: What you need to know if going to rally Saturday

By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
Updated  August 3, 2024 7:53am EDT
2024 Election
FOX 5 Atlanta

ATLANTA - Former President Donald Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance, headed to Atlanta on Saturday for a rally at Georgia State University Convocation Center, which can accommodate 8,000 people. 

Doors for the rally opened at 1 p.m. The rally began at 3 p.m., as scheduled. J.D. Vance spoke at around 4:30 p.m. Donald Trump was scheduled to speak at 5 p.m., but at 5:16 p.m., he sat down for a roundtable discussion about inflation with local Black business owners.

FOX 5 Atlanta livestreamed the rally on Facebook, YouTube, its website and FOX Local streaming app.

The Georgia State University Convocation Center is located at 455 Capitol Ave. SE in Atlanta.

What drivers can expect

Drivers can expect rolling closures on Interstate 85 near the airport.

Those rolling closures will continue as Trump makes his way to the Convocation Center.

There will be closures on Capitol Avenue, Ralph David Abernathy and University Avenue near the center.

There will also be closures off and on throughout the day as event preparation continues before the rally.

People line up early for Trump/Vance rally

People began lining up early in downtown Atlanta on Saturday ahead of the rally with former President Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance.

If you are going to rally

If you are going to the rally, here are some things you should know:

  • You must have a ticket for entry.
  • Get there early. People were already lined up early Saturday morning.
  • Parking will open at 8 a.m. It will be available on a first come, first served basis. ADA parking at the venue is limited. There are two lots. The Blue Lot is located at 76 Fulton St. SW and the Green Lot is 640 Pollard Blvd. SW. Reservations are not being accepted for parking.
  • Do not bring a purse or bag. GSU normally has a clear bag policy, but the event notice from the Trump campaign says no bags or purses. It doesn't mention clear bags.
  • Do not bring prohibited items like balloons, banners, signs, drones, chairs, coolers, e-cigarettes, explosives, firearms, glass or metal containers, laser lights/pointers, mace/pepper spray, noisemakers, selfie sticks, tripods, umbrellas etc.

Other ways to get to the venue

Rideshare: Driver may drop off passengers at the corner of Fulton Street SW and Capitol Avenue SE

MARTA: The GSU MARTA station is .7 miles from the Convocation Center.

Can I still get a ticket?

It appears that you can still get a ticket. Click here to register. 

Who will be there?

We do not have a confirmed list, but it's pretty safe bet that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene will be in attendance.

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones has said that he will be speaking at the rally.

Georgia GOP's chairman Josh McKoon is expected to be in attendance.

RNC National Committeewoman Amy Kremer.

Who will not be there

Gov. Brian Kemp will not be in attendance since he has another engagement.

Former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan will also not be there since he is a very vocal critic of the former president.

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Attorney General Chris Carr will also not be in attendance. 

Previous visits by Trump/Harris

This is the former president's 4th visit to Georgia this year. He was in Georgia for a fundraiser in April in Rome. Before that, he held a campaign rally with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. 

And, he was here in June for the first presidential debate against President Joe Biden. 

At this time, he has no other scheduled visits to Georgia before the election, but that is likely to change.

This will be J.D. Vance's first visit to Atlanta as the Republican vice presidential nominee. 

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Vice President Kamala Harris was in Atlanta last week for a rally at the same location. She is also scheduled to appear at a rally on Aug. 9 with her running mate, who has not yet been announced, in Savannah.