Former President Donald Trump rallies supporters in Macon ahead of Election Day
Former President Donald Trump rallied a packed crowd of enthusiastic supporters at Macon’s Atrium Health Amphitheater Sunday night, making his final case to voters in swing state Georgia just two days before the election.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — Former President Donald Trump rallied a packed crowd of enthusiastic supporters at Macon’s Atrium Health Amphitheater Sunday night, making his final case to voters in swing state Georgia just two days before the election.
The Republican nominee arrived about an hour and a half after his scheduled time, following earlier rallies in Pennsylvania and North Carolina. It was his first visit to Macon since a rally in 2020.
Supporters began lining up outside the amphitheater before 9 a.m., hours before gates opened at 2:30 p.m. Thousands of supporters filled the seats and spilled over onto the lawn.
Jason and Kelly Griggs, who traveled from Byron, got there early to show their support.
“This is a very important election,” Jason Griggs said. “We want to make sure it’s known that everybody’s behind Donald Trump.”
The former president took the stage to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA,” addressing topics from economic policy to immigration and national security. He thanked Republicans who attended and spoke earlier in the night, including former UGA football player Herschel Walker, U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Macon’s Wayne Johnson, who’s running for congress against long-time incumbent Sanford Bishop.
Trump spoke about recent hurricane damage in Georgia, voicing support for those who need assistance and mentioning Elon Musk’s efforts to help those impacted with communication by using Starlink. “You know where he (Musk) is right now? He’s campaigning for me in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania!” Trump said.
The former president urged voters to turn out on Election Day, comparing the proximity of the election to being at the 1-yard-line in a football game. He also touched on campaign promises, including tax cuts and an aggressive energy policy with his line, “Drill baby drill.”
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene were among the lineup of Republican speakers who joined Trump in urging the crowd to vote on Tuesday. Rubio joked, “When they called me about this yesterday, I said, ‘Look, I don’t know. We’re (Florida) up 10-3 in the first half.’”
Greene, who received a standing ovation, told the crowd that her first campaign rally for Trump was in Macon and her last would be there as well, later adding, “This is not the end of the MAGA movement. This is only the beginning.”
Trump’s supporters shared why they back him.
“We just want to hear what he’s doing, what he’s all about, and we’re here to support him and uplift him,” supporter Mercedes Borgess of Alabama said. Another attendee, Shawn Cox of Musella, said Trump was a president for “all Americans.” “He wants to see every American succeed,” Cox said.
“This election is a choice between whether we will have four more years of gross incompetence and failure or whether we will begin the four greatest years in the history of our country,” Trump told the crowd.
The rally closed with Trump’s signature promise, “We will make America great again,” he said. “Thank you, Georgia! Thank you very much!”
Trump will return to North Carolina and Pennsylvania for more rallies on Monday before closing out the night with a rally in Michigan.
Georgia’s 16 electoral votes are up for grabs when voters head to the polls on Tuesday.
