Key facts
- President Donald Trump is scheduled to campaign in Marietta, Georgia, on Wednesday.
- Trump has frequently attacked Georgia's election system, claiming fraud since his 2020 loss.
- Some Georgia Republicans fear Trump's rhetoric may suppress voter turnout.
- The rally aims to highlight Trump's pro-family policies, according to a White House spokeswoman.
- Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff is seeking reelection against Republican U.S. Representative Mike Collins.
- Collins supports stricter voting laws and has echoed Trump's claims about the 2020 election.
President Donald Trump is scheduled to hold a campaign rally in Marietta, Georgia, on Wednesday, a visit that has sparked concern among some Republicans about the potential impact of his persistent claims of election fraud on voter turnout.
Trump has been a vocal critic of Georgia's election system since his 2020 loss in the state, having questioned its integrity at least nine times publicly since January, according to a Reuters review. His rally in Marietta, a competitive suburb north of Atlanta, marks his first campaign stop since a recent White House speech addressing election security nationwide.
Several Georgia Republicans worry that Trump's focus on unsubstantiated election fraud claims could discourage his own supporters from voting in the upcoming midterm elections, where control of Congress is at stake. Eric Johnson, former Republican leader of the Georgia Senate, stated that discussions about election fraud hurt Republicans in the state and that Trump's supporters are less likely to vote if he casts doubt on the electoral process.
A spokeswoman for the White House, Liz Huston, indicated that Trump would use the rally to promote his pro-family policies, including tax breaks and savings accounts. The 2020 election results, particularly in Georgia, remain a central theme for the former president.
In the race for the Senate seat, Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff is facing Republican U.S. Representative Mike Collins. Ossoff's campaign has criticized Trump's upcoming visit, calling him a "sore loser" and suggesting his focus on debunked conspiracies will mobilize voters against him. Collins, who is expected to appear with Trump, has supported stricter voting requirements and has stated his belief that Trump won Georgia in 2020, despite multiple recounts confirming his defeat. Collins emphasized that election integrity is a non-partisan issue vital to democracy.
Recent polling indicates a significant lead for Ossoff, with a July Fox News poll showing him ahead of Collins by 13 percentage points among registered voters. Despite recent changes to Georgia's voting laws, including requirements for voter identification and limitations on ballot drop boxes and absentee ballots, concerns about election security persist among some Republican voters in Cobb County, where Trump is scheduled to speak. The local Republican Party chair urged all voters to participate, emphasizing that abstaining from voting is not beneficial.