In a fiery return to the Peach State, former President Donald Trump held a rally at Georgia State University’s Convocation Center on Saturday, marking his first campaign appearance in Georgia since the Democratic primary shakeup.
The event, which drew a packed house, highlighted Trump’s strategy and messaging as he faces a tightening race against Vice President Kamala Harris in this crucial battleground state.
Trump’s appearance came just days after Harris’ own rally at the same venue this week, which attracted an estimated 10,000 supporters, including a performance by rapper Megan Thee Stallion.
The former president had no musical guests but invited other Republican politicians and community leaders onto the podium throughout his speech.
Here are the main takeaways from Saturday’s rally in Atlanta:
Relitigating the 2020 Election and Attacks on Local Leadership
Trump continued to falsely claim victory in Georgia, stating he won the state twice. He attacked Georgia’s Republican Governor Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who had refused to overturn the 2020 election results. Trump suggested, without evidence, that they were working against him in the 2024 election.
The former president earlier in the day took to Truth Social to blast Kemp being disloyal to the Republican party while ripping apart his crime record in the state.
The Georgia governor responded on X, formerly Twitter, asking Trump to leave his family alone: “My focus is on winning this November and saving our country from Kamala Harris and the Democrats – not engaging in petty personal insults, attacking fellow Republicans, or dwelling on the past.”
He ended the post with, “You should do the same, Mr. President, and leave my family out of it.”
Newsweek contacted Kemp and Trump’s office via email on Saturday for comment.
My focus is on winning this November and saving our country from Kamala Harris and the Democrats – not engaging in petty personal insults, attacking fellow Republicans, or dwelling on the past.
You should do the same, Mr. President, and leave my family out of it. pic.twitter.com/m8y6CSuZKY
— Brian Kemp (@BrianKempGA) August 3, 2024
Focus on Legal Challenges
The former president discussed Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and the Georgia election interference case against him, making mocking and provocative comments about Willis’s relationship with former lead prosecutor Nathan Wade.
In June, lawyers for Trump filed an opening brief in the Georgia Court of Appeals seeking to remove Willis from the former president’s election subversion case in Georgia.
In a statement, Trump’s lead defense counsel Steve Sadow argued that Willis’ improper relationship with former Fulton County prosecutor Wade is grounds to have the district attorney disqualified from the case.
The former president and 18 other co-defendants face racketeering charges accusing them of attempting to overturn Trump’s 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden in the state of Georgia.
Relations with Russia
The former president commented on a recent prisoner swap involving Russia. Trump congratulated Russian President Vladimir Putin, asserting that the deal was favorable for the leader while criticizing the terms for the United States.
The historic prisoner swap with the Biden administration this week that resulted in the release of the Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and security contractor Paul Whelan. “I’d like to congratulate Vladimir Putin for having made yet another great deal,” Trump said of the Russian president.
He concluded: “Boy, we make some horrible, horrible deals.”
Outreach to Black voters
Prior to the rally, Trump reportedly met backstage with Black business leaders, signaling an effort to expand his support among African American voters. During the rally, Trump invited Black political consultant and Conserve the Culture founder Michaelah Montgomery on stage with him twice, further emphasizing his attempt to appeal to Black voters.
Montgomery praised Trump for “saving” her beloved Clark Atlanta University, a prominent Historically Black College and University (HBCU), located in Georgia. In 2019, Trump signed a bipartisan bill intended to provide more than $250 million a year to historic Black colleges, reported the Associated Press.
However, previously speaking to The Washington Post, Marybeth Gasman, a Rutgers professor and authority on HBCUs, said Trump’s involvement was likely to have been limited.
“Congress does all this work and presents it to him in the budget, and he can choose to sign it,” Gasman said.
As the election approaches, both campaigns are intensifying their efforts to mobilize supporters and win over undecided voters in Georgia. The state’s 16 electoral votes could prove crucial in determining the outcome of the 2024 presidential election, making every campaign stop and policy position in Georgia potentially significant in this hotly contested race.