The White House insisted that President Donald Trump was visiting Georgia to promote the economy.
But in the opening minutes of his first stop at a local restaurant before touring a steel company, the president raised debunked claims of voter fraud, talked up his plan to require voters to show identification before casting ballots, and discussed the recent FBI raid of election offices in the state's most populous county.
“They came in, they took all those ballots; all those crooked ballots were taken,” Trump said. “And the Democrats are fighting like hell. They don’t want anyone to see those ballots. Let’s see what happens.”
Later at Coosa Steel Corporation, the president charged that Democrats “cheated like dogs” in the 2020 election.
The White House has long said Trump would focus more on the economy, and he frequently complains that he doesn’t get enough credit for it. But recent months have been dominated by other issues, including deadly clashes during deportation efforts in Minneapolis, potential military action in Iran, and his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen.
Trump's destination in Georgia suggests he has something else on his mind, too. He was appearing in the congressional district previously represented by Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former supporter who resigned in January after feuding with Trump.
There's a special election to replace her on March 10.
After his early focus on the state's voting system, Trump refocused his comments on the economy...
The White House insisted that President Donald Trump was visiting Georgia to promote the economy. But in the opening minutes of his first stop at a local restaurant before touring a steel company,...