Trump will rally Georgia Republicans despite party divisions in battleground state

President Donald Trump is traveling to Dalton, Georgia, on Friday for a midterm rally with Senate candidate Mike Collins and Rick Jackson, the Republican nominee for governor. The stop tests the party's strength in a genuine battleground, unlike Trump's recent visits to reliably Republican Alabama, Montana and Tennessee, and the candidates will need voters beyond his core supporters to beat Democrats Jon Ossoff and Keisha Lance Bottoms, according to PBS NewsHour.

Ossoff said he was surprised Republicans wanted the president there, arguing the visit highlights rising grocery, fuel and healthcare costs. Bottoms urged voters to treat Trump as if he were on the ballot. The Associated Press notes this is the first joint appearance by Collins and Jackson this fall, while Ossoff and Bottoms have campaigned together repeatedly. Collins has struggled with fundraising and controversy, and Jackson's events with other party leaders have not mentioned him.

Collins echoes Trump's false claims about 2020 and declined to retract them in a debate. Trump endorsed him before his June runoff win over Derek Dooley, and Governor Brian Kemp backed him only in September. Kemp will skip Friday's rally because of a family obligation, according to adviser Cody Hall.

Summarized by PolitiKool from PBS NewsHour’s reporting. Read the full story at PBS NewsHour →