U.S. President Donald Trump will hold a “Make America Great Again” rally in Southaven at the Landers Center at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, where U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith will join him on stage.
Trump is currently hosting rallies around the country to support congressional candidates before the Nov. 6 general election. He cancelled his previous rally in Mississippi to prepare for Hurricane Florence hitting parts of East coast.
Hyde-Smith, former Mississippi commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce, is running in a special election against state Sen. Chris McDaniel and former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy.
Trump tweeted his endorsement of Hyde-Smith back in August, saying that “we need Cindy to win in Mississippi.”
“We are thrilled that President Donald Trump has endorsed Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith,” Hyde-Smith Communications Director Melissa Scallon said. “We appreciate his support, and we look forward to welcoming him to the great state of Mississippi.”
Trump’s endorsement comes after McDaniel has accused Hyde-Smith of not being conservative and for being a “lifelong Democrat.”
McDaniel’s campaign could not be reached for comment, but at his town hall in Oxford, McDaniel said the only reason Trump was endorsing Hyde-Smith was that the leadership in Washington was forcing Trump to do so.
“How else can you explain Donald Trump endorsing Mitt Romney?” McDaniel asked. “Mitt Romney was as hateful to Trump as a human can be. John McCain wasn’t very nice to Trump, and Trump endorsed him. Paul Ryan wasn’t nice to Trump, and Trump endorsed him.”
Lafayette County Democratic Party Chair Cristen Hemmins said President Trump’s trip to Mississippi shows that the national Republican party knows that Mississippi is in play in the upcoming midterms.
“The president would not come here if the election were a slam dunk,” Hemmins said. “Mississippi Dems will keep working to get out the vote for our candidates who support equality, a living wage, protecting our environment and healthcare for all Americans. We know these are issues which are important to voters.”
Senior accounting major Patrick Waters said he’s going to the rally and that he’s excited to see Trump in Southaven.
“I think what we’re seeing here in Mississippi is that voters are enthusiastic about the pro-growth policies of President Trump and congressional Republicans,” Waters said. “I expect turnout to be high at the rally, and I think it will have a great impact on Sen. Hyde-Smith’s campaign as well as (those of) other Republicans running throughout the mid-South.”
