Trump Rallies in Georgia

Trump's Georgia rally highlights his influence in key midterm races.

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Updated Oct 16, 6:59pm ET

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What happened

President Donald Trump held a campaign rally in Dalton, Georgia, to support Republican Senate candidate Mike Collins and gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson. The stop moved his midterm push into another battleground state less than three weeks before voting ends. Republicans need support beyond Trump’s base to defeat Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff and former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. Collins has embraced Trump, while Jackson has kept more distance to court moderate voters. Ossoff said Trump and Collins backed policies that raised grocery, fuel and health care costs. Collins’s campaign welcomed Trump’s support and called him bipartisan. Early voting is underway, after more than 190,000 ballots were cast on the first day.

How each side covered it

From the left

Left-leaning outlets framed the rally as a high-risk bid to excite Republicans in a state where Trump’s base is not enough. The Boston Globe stressed that GOP candidates needed voters beyond Trump loyalists to beat Democrats. MS NOW tied the stop to Trump’s false fraud claims and ally challenges to Georgia voting systems. CNN highlighted weak Republican fundraising as a Democratic opening.

From the right

Right-leaning outlets framed the rally as part of Trump’s national drive to lift Republicans toward Senate control. The Washington Examiner emphasized Collins’s difficult race and Republicans’ stronger opening in the governor’s contest. The Gateway Pundit cited the White House’s argument that Trump brought an America First record on taxes, investment, border security and safety.

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