COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Former President Donald Trump’s supporters gathered early outside the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre as they anxiously awaited his appearance at a rally.
The rally, scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m., marks Trump’s second appearance in Georgia on Tuesday, highlighting the state’s importance in his campaign efforts.
Channel 2 Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell spoke with as supporters lined up along Cobb Galleria Parkway hoping that the former president’s address will energize the GOP base.
“Without a strong turnout from his base, he doesn’t carry Georgia, he doesn’t carry the White House,” Political Analyst Bill Crane said.
He noted Trump’s strategy to remind Georgians of his frequent visits, underscoring the state’s critical role in his political campaign.
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“Reminding people that he’s in Georgia, second location today, two times in two weeks, how important this state is to him and energizing his base,” Crane said.
Crane pointed out the impact of demographic shifts in Cobb and Gwinnett counties, which contributed to Hillary Clinton’s success in 2016 and subsequently led to President Joe Biden’s victory in 2020.
A shift that Trump hopes to reverse in his favor.
“For Donald Trump to recapture some of that strongest Republican county up through the Reagan and Bush years would be a big prize. It would also solidify a win in Georgia,” Crane said.
Vice President Kamala Harris is also set to visit Georgia this weekend, further highlighting the state’s significance in national politics.