Republican Presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to attendees during a campaign rally at the Johnny Mercer Theatre on September 24, 2024 in Savannah. The former president spoke to attendees on various plans including the tax code, U.S. manufacturing, and future economic opportunities if reelected for a second term. Trump continues campaigning around the country ahead of the November 6 presidential election. Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Former president Donald Trump came to Savannah Tuesday to make an economic pitch to Georgia voters.
In a freewheeling speech that touched on topics ranging from immigration to to the July attempt on his life at a Pennsylvania rally and how President Joe Biden looks in a swimsuit, the Republican presidential candidate said he would be better for the economy than his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, arguing his tax and manufacturing policies will result in more jobs for American citizens.
“Georgia and Savannah are going to be right in the center of the action,” he said. “We’re going to rebuild our manufacturing, and it’s going to happen. It’s going to happen fast and beautifully. For years, Americans have watched as our country was stripped of jobs and wealth, and our companies were sold off to foreign countries. You’ve been watching, and it’s been a horror show.”
Trump reiterated his plan to levy heavy tariffs on exported goods, targeting China in particular. Trump also promised a 100% tariff on cars imported from Mexico and said the centerpiece of his economic plan would be a tax reduction for companies that base their manufacturing operations in the United States, which he predicted will create a “manufacturing renaissance” that would bring in billions to benefit American citizens.
“For years they knocked the word. The word tariff, properly used, is a beautiful word. One of the most beautiful words I’ve ever heard. It’s music to my ears. A lot of bad people didn’t like that word, but now they’re finding out I was right,” he said.
The Harris campaign has referred to the plan as a “Trump tax,” pointing to economic experts who largely agree that U.S. consumers shoulder the price of tariffs. The campaign sites estimates that the tariffs Trump proposes could raise costs for American households by between $2,000 and $6,000.
Trump sought to paint Harris and President Joe Biden as financially inept and responsible for high inflation rates in recent years.
During a portion of the speech in which he gave shoutouts to high-profile Georgia supporters, Trump praised Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, calling him “fantastic” in a sign that the former president is continuing to seek to mend the relationship with the popular Republican he once tried to oust. Last week, Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, shared a stage with Kemp during an event for evangelical conservatives.
The Trump campaign is likely betting that burying the hatchet will help convince suburban voters who align with Republicans but dislike Trump’s style to support him in November in what could be a tight race.
The campaign also likely believes that focusing on the economy will help Trump win the crucial swing state. A New York Times/Siena poll released Monday found 28% of Georgia respondents listed the economy as their top issue, more than any other topic. In the same poll, 54% of respondents said they believe Trump would do a better job with the economy, compared with 42% for Harris.
The Harris campaign countered with a number of events across the state, including a press call with billionaire businessman and reality TV star Mark Cuban, who criticized Trump’s economic plan.
But Democrats primarily stuck with what they view as their biggest strength, abortion rights.
The same Times/Siena poll found the second-highest number of Georgia voters listed abortion as their top issues at 16%. Among those polled, 66% said abortion should be always or mostly legal, and 25% said it should be always or mostly illegal, and 53% said Harris would do a better job on the abortion issue compared with 40% for Trump.
While Trump was preparing to take the stage, Harris campaign allies gathered in downtown Atlanta to highlight Trump’s record on abortion. Trump appointed three of the U.S. Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022 with a 5-4 vote, ending a five-decade constitutional right to an abortion.
The issue was elevated last week after the first maternal deaths tied to Georgia’s six-week abortion ban became public two years after the law took effect, prompting Harris to visit Atlanta Friday to blast the strict abortion bans passed in GOP-controlled states like Georgia.
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms blasted former President Donald Trump’s record on reproductive rights Tuesday. Jill Nolin/Georgia Recorder.
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who is serving as a senior advisor for the Harris-Walz campaign, warned that another Trump term poses even greater risks to access to reproductive care.
“We have to remember this is not just about terminating a pregnancy,” Bottoms said. “This is about women who are attempting to access IVF treatment and also women who are experiencing miscarriages. Trump’s Project 2025 agenda even includes plans to restrict access to birth control. I’ve often asked the question, where’s the portion on vasectomies and Viagra?”
Trump’s allies are tied to the conservative presidential transition plan known as Project 2025 created by the influential Heritage Foundation, but the former president has tried to distance himself from the controversial document.
The DNC also promoted their funding of four billboards in Savannah ahead of Trump’s visit seeking to tie him to the overturn of Roe v. Wade.
Deputy Editor Jill Nolin contributed to this report
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