/At Trump rally in Tupelo, impeachment inquiry steals spotlight from Tate Reeves, governor’s race

At Trump rally in Tupelo, impeachment inquiry steals spotlight from Tate Reeves, governor’s race

After ranting for several minutes about national Democrats, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker said that “We cannot re-elect Donald J. Trump Tuesday night.” Trump’s rally, which was officially for his 2020 campaign, took place just one day after the U.S. House of Representatives approved formalizing the impeachment proceedings against him. This was only the third time that a sitting U.S. President has been subjected to such a vote. Trump, who has high approval ratings in Mississippi used the Tupelo rally as an opportunity to attack the national Democrats and offer a passionate, off the cuff defense for his presidency. Trump stated that the radical left was determined to make America a nation you wouldn’t recognize. Trump stated, “We are the ones in their way, but we will never get out from their way…” Trump, along with prominent Mississippi Republicans, spent a portion of his speech promoting Reeves’ candidacy. Reeves, who was seated shoulder-to-shoulder with Trump for three minutes, spoke from the podium. Reeves will face Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood during Tuesday’s general election to governor. Since 2003, the Governor’s Mansion has been home to Republicans. However, polls and pundits on both sides suggest that Hood is a significant threat to this succession. Trump’s visit to Tupelo was strategically important because northeast Mississippi is a crucial battleground in Tuesday’s governors race. Hood, a Chickasaw County Democrat, has won many votes in his native region. A group of prominent Republicans from the state, including Governor. A bus tour was hosted by Phil Bryant, GOP Chairman Lucien Smith, and other prominent Republicans from the state. Trump’s 2016 performance in the region was better than any Republican in modern political history. Republican leaders hope that his visit will solidify these numbers and increase voter enthusiasm. “If you want a far-left Democrat to run Mississippi, wait a moment… I can’t believe that this is a competitive election. Trump spoke out about Hood and the race for Mississippi’s governor. “I don’t believe (Hood), is going to be a good guy. Tate Reeves is the right man, I believe. “He will be a great Governor.” The crowd grew louder when Trump was mentioned, and they remained quieter when Reeves or the governor’s race were discussed. Photo gallery: Trump rally at Tupelo. Reeves’ strategy of bastardizing national liberalism, which was displayed at the rally on Friday night, has been his consistent formula throughout this year’s campaign. Reeves stated that the 2019 political battle is with the “liberal policies and the liberal ideas” of Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and Jim Hood on January 3, when he launched his gubernatorial campaigns. The arena has a capacity of 10,000 and was packed with rally attendees. After the venue reached its capacity, some were turned away. Many people traveled from other states to see Trump in person, including Tennessee and Alabama. Many people admitted that they had to stand in long lines and brave the cold weather to see Trump. Some people waited in line at 3 AM Friday morning, 16 hours before the rally at 7 p.m. Dana Rucker, sporting the “Make America Great Again” cap, said that she hasn’t been following politics much other than the president. Tiffany Elzie, a Holly Springs worker, left at noon to go to the rally. Elzie, one of few black people who attended Friday’s rally, said that she would vote for Trump next time, as she did in 2016. She said, “I don’t always agree with him but I think that he’s doing a great work.” “He’s not scripted, he says what it means,” she said. Elzie stated that although she enjoyed what she heard from Reeves’ opponent Attorney General Jim Hood, she will not vote Democratic. When she was asked if she would vote for the lieutenant- governor, she replied that she had to. However, Tate is not someone she likes – she was a fan of (former Chief Justice Bill Waller). Colleen Marion from Meridian also shared this mentality. Tate seemed cocky to her. She posed with a cardboard cutout depicting Trump before entering the arena. Dawn Rosamond of Tupelo stated that she was unable to see Trump about a year ago, when he held an outdoor rally at Tupelo Municipal airport to campaign for Cindy Hyde Smith. She said, “I just wanted out to support president.” She said that Reeves would do a great job. Hood, the current attorney-general, held a news conference in Tupelo on Friday afternoon — just 30 minutes from Houston. Hood said that people in his hometown know that he is “a moderate.” Mississippi Today couldn’t find any of them Friday night at the Trump-Reeves rally. However, Hood said there were likely to be people who had voted in the past for Hood. Dwayne Johnson, a Belmont resident who is now a manager of several restaurants, said, “I have voted in the past for Democrats, but not in very long.” Chris Buckius, an ex-military friend, of Fulton, also praised Trump but added that he had not heard anything very good about Reeves. He said, however, of Reeves, “What I heard was not that good honestly, but i am beginning to do a lot more research.” To help us continue this important work, you can support this work by making a recurring contribution today to celebrate our Spring Member Drive. Our reporters give a human face to policy’s impact on everyday Mississippians by listening more closely and understanding their communities. 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