Key facts
- Trump claimed the 2020 election in Georgia was fraudulent.
- Trump stated Jon Ossoff was "never elected".
- Trump promised $5,000 government checks if Republicans hold the House.
- Trump claimed zero illegal aliens admitted to the US in 17 months.
At a rally in north Georgia, Donald Trump reiterated claims that the 2020 election in Georgia was fraudulent and that the election of US senator Jon Ossoff was illegitimate. Trump stated that Ossoff, who is running against US congressman Mike Collins in November, does not represent Georgia’s values, adding, "And he was never elected."
Ossoff has maintained a consistent lead against Collins, with most recent polling showing him with a nine-point lead against his Republican rival. Trump claimed he was on track to complete the "most successful" two-year run of a president in history, touting stock market gains, low unemployment and poverty rates, and the establishment of "Trump accounts" for newborns. He also repeated a promise that American voters would receive a $5,000 government check if Republicans hold the US House of Representatives, claiming that $21 trillion in foreign manufacturing investments pledged on his watch would offset the trillion-dollar cost, though most of those pledges remain unfulfilled.
Trump also touted his immigration record and the overthrow of the Venezuelan government, stating, "Forty-eight hours, and that war was done." He described the early days of the war on Iran from the perspective of Oval Office meetings and damage reports, particularly of strikes against Iranian leadership. Trump said of Iran, "Iran is the only country where nobody wants to be president." The Iran war has caused a spike in gasoline and diesel prices. Trump was dismissive of critics citing the increased cost of living on his watch, describing the term "affordability" as Democratic propaganda. He claimed, "In the past 17 months, zero illegal aliens have been admitted into the United States."
The rally began at about 2 p.m. at Dalton municipal airport, with about 1,200 people packing grandstands. Trump took the stage at about 4:20 p.m., 80 minutes after his scheduled start, with about 300 people standing unshaded in the Georgia afternoon sun. His supporters expressed strong backing for Trump. Two protesters briefly unfurled a banner with an anti-ICE slogan before being removed by security.