VALDOSTA, Georgia — President Donald Trump rallied Saturday night for Republican Senate candidates Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, emphasizing the high stakes of their upcoming Senate runoff race.
Speaking to a packed crowd of several thousand Saturday evening at Valdosta Regional Airport, Trump assessed that the race was “the most important congressional runoff probably in American history.”
Perdue and Loeffler are facing Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock on January 5.
If the Georgia Democrats both win their races, the Senate would be deadlocked, and — if Joe Biden survives legal challenges from the Trump campaign — Democrat Sen. Kamala Harris would decide any votes in the Senate that end in a 50–50 tie.
Trump clarified that control of the Senate “really means control of this country.”
“The voters of Georgia will determine which party runs every committee, writes every piece of legislation, controls ever single taxpayer dollar,” he said. “Very simply, you will decide whether your children will grow up in a socialist country or whether they will grow up in a free country.”
Trump called on Georgians to vote for Perdue and Loeffler repeatedly throughout the evening. “You must go vote and vote early starting December 14. You have to do it,” Trump said.
The president has alleged voter fraud occurred in the presidential election but told Georgians they still must go vote. Trump said that although “they cheated” and “they rigged our presidential election,” he is continuing his legal battles over the election results and anticipates going up to the Supreme Court “very shortly.”
Trump also warned during the rally that if Democrats won the Senate election, they would pursue a socialist or potentially “communistic” form of government.
He added, “Somehow that doesn’t suit Georgia too well.”
Write to Ashley Oliver at [email protected].
