At the Neshoba Country Fair, the second-term Republican governor said that “I can’t even tell you how much it’s fun to be able go to Washington D.C. now.” “The eight years prior to President Trump, I would have gone to the national governors meeting. I would skip the black tie event at the Obama White House. It is great fun to be in the White House — making America great again. Bryant stated that Trump will not be on November’s ballot, but that he will be an issue. Bryant believes that this issue will be a net benefit for Mississippi Republicans. “If Democrats want to come out and say that we need a check, a temporary solution for Donald J. Trump, then I look forward to it. Bryant said, “Bring it on.” Bryant added that “We’re going vote for people who support Donald J. Trump.” It is hard to find any Mississippi Republican who has criticised Trump, particularly any Republican running for office in this year’s state. Trump’s approval rating hovered around 40 percent nationally and is seen as a liability by many Republican candidates across the country. However, Mississippi Republicans don’t believe this is true. Lucien Smith, the chair of the Mississippi Republican Party, stated that “to the extent there’s a Trump effect here, I believe it’s positive.” “That’s why all the Republicans running are proud of their relationship with Trump, and their support for what he’s doing. In Mississippi, Trump is still very popular. He is an asset. According to FiveThirtyEight analysis, Roger Wicker of Tupelo, and Cindy Hyde-Smith, of Brookhaven, the two Republican senators have supported President Trump more than any other senator. Wicker stated on a campaign website that he proudly supported President Trump in his campaign against Hillary Clinton. He also said that he would continue to fight in Washington for his agenda to be implemented in the Senate. According to FiveThirtyEight analysis, Wicker voted for Trump 96.1 percent of all times. Only Thad Cochran, a former Mississippi senator, and Hyde-Smith (who Bryant appointed in the interim to replace Cochran) have voted with Trump more than Wicker. Hyde-Smith is 100% a Trump supporter. Wicker voted against Trump in two instances. These were to enact sanctions on Russia and to require Congress vote on tariffs. Hyde-Smith was elected to the post following the Russia sanctions vote. However, she voted against the proposal that Congress should have the right to decide whether tariffs should go into effect. Hyde-Smith is running for the Cochran seat in a special election in November. She supports Trump’s candidacy against Chris McDaniel (a Republican state senator from Ellisville) and Mike Espy (the former secretary of agriculture under the Bill Clinton administration). McDaniel, Hyde-Smith will compete for who is the largest Trump supporter in the special election. Both Republicans and Democrats will share the ballot. Hyde-Smith stated in a campaign ad that “With President Trump” and that he was working to help. McDaniel, however, said at the Neshoba Country Fair that “Donald Trump” is a “fine president.” He needs fighters, not just those who are trying to ride on his coattails in Washington, D.C.” According to the most recent Morning Consult tracking poll, Trump’s net positive approval rating in Mississippi is 24 percentage points. Morning Consult monitors the president’s approval ratings in all 50 states every month. Mississippi is like most other states in that the president’s approval rating dropped there. His rating in Mississippi, at the time he was inaugurated in January 2017, was positive 34%. Trump’s Mississippi rating is currently at 60 percent approval with 26 disapproval. This is his highest. Only Wyoming (31%) and West Virginia (30%) have higher net positive ratings for Trump. According to the Morning Consult poll, Louisiana is at 24 percent. Bobby Moak, the chair of the state Democratic Party acknowledged that it might not be wise to run against Trump in Mississippi. It is an odd thing. We don’t mention Trump’s name. He is the president. Moak stated that we are not going to discredit that. Mississippi farmers prepare for tariffs’ effects: “We are the ones being struck the hardest” “The policies and the Republican Party that the president has implemented are what we are discussing because they are a negative thing for Mississippians. The president doesn’t need to be mentioned. Talk about the impact of tariffs on farmers. You can either say Roger Wicker supports these policies, or Cindy Hyde Smith supports them. Or we can talk about all of the local hospitals closing.” Espy has spoken out against Trump’s tariffs, which have adversely affected Mississippi farmers. But he has not said much about Trump. State Rep. David Baria (D-Bay St. Louis), who is running against Wicker, said that “Mississippi requires a senator who isn’t afraid of the president. He will work with him when it is right, and stand up for him when he does wrong, regardless of who is in office at the White House.”