With less than two weeks until the November 5 general election, former President and Republican nominee Donald Trump held a rally at Gas South Arena in Duluth Wednesday night.
The event drew thousands and featured a number of guest speakers, ranging from former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to Gainesville pastor Jentezen Franklin. Trump, who is vying to win Georgia after losing it in his 2020 reelection bid, encouraged those in attendance to get out to vote.
"With your help, 13 days from now we're going to win Georgia. We're going to defeat (Democrat nominee and Vice President) Kamala Harris and we're going to make America great again," Trump said.
Trump spent much of his speech at the event critiquing Harris and the Joe Biden administration.
"This election is a choice between whether we will have four more years of incompetence, failure and disaster, or whether we will begin the four greatest years in the history of our country," Trump said. "Georgia, you have to stand up and you have to tell Kamala Harris that you've done a horrible job."
Trump spoke on various issues, talking at length about his promises to improve U.S. border security. His comments included a reference to the February killing of nursing student Laken Riley on the University of Georgia campus in Athens by a man who reportedly entered the country illegally from Venezuela in 2022.
"The savage monster who killed Laken was let in and released into our country by the open border policy of Kamala Harris," Trump said. "Immediately upon taking the oath of office, I will launch the largest deportation program in American history."
Trump's critiques of Harris and Biden also included a jab at Georgia native and former President Jimmy Carter.
"Jimmy Carter is the happiest man, because his administration is brilliant compared to these losers," Trump said. "You saw him the other day voting...I think he voted for me."
Carter, who recently turned 100 years old, had been quoted by various sources as saying he wanted to live long enough to cast a ballot for Harris in the 2024 election.
Jentezen Franklin, pastor of Gainesville-based Free Chapel, voiced his support for Trump at the event.
"You and I, our prayers make a difference and our votes make a difference, and we've got to do both," Franklin said. "That's why I'm here. That's why I'm in this fight. We're fighting for the freedom and the faith and growing up in a free nation for our children and our children's children."
Other guest speakers included country music singer Jason Aldean, political commentator Tucker Carlson and activist Charlie Kirk, whose political action group Turning Point hosted the event.
The event marked the farthest northeast in the state a major presidential candidate has come since Trump appeared in Commerce in 2022. His vice presidential pick, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, was previously scheduled to appear in Flowery Branch in September, but that event was canceled by the approach of Hurricane Helene.
Harris has also made several recent appearances in Georgia, which is expected to be a key swing state in the 2024 race. She is scheduled to appear Thursday at DeKalb County's James Hallford Stadium along with several other Democrat officials and celebrities.
Early voting in Georgia continues through Friday, November 1.
To hear Trump's full comments at Wednesday's event, click herehttps://youtu.be/HGLmXJYeQlk
