Trump's Weekend Doubleheader: Georgia and Michigan as Obama Counters in Detroit

Trump's Weekend Doubleheader: Georgia and Michigan as Obama Counters in Detroit

Rally Blitz Hits Seventh Stop in Seven Days

Ten days before the November 3 midterm elections, President Donald Trump spent the weekend in two battleground states: an evening rally on October 24 in Perry, Georgia, followed by a Sunday afternoon rally in Port Huron, Michigan. The Hill reported the Michigan event would be his seventh campaign stop in a seven-day stretch, with visits also spanning North Carolina, South Carolina, Kansas, Iowa, Florida, Mississippi, Texas and Ohio across the closing blitz.

Perry Night: Collins Gets the Nod, Ossoff Gets the Fire

At the Guardian Centers complex in Perry, Trump stumped for Rep. Mike Collins, who is challenging Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, and for gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson. The New York Post reported Trump branded Ossoff a "far-left extremist," while CNN quoted Trump's own concession that a Collins win over Ossoff would be "somewhat of a shocker," noting Collins has trailed the incumbent in fundraising.

A $4.2 Billion Sweetener: Audi Plant for Macon

Trump announced at the Perry rally that Audi, the German luxury brand owned by Volkswagen, would invest $4.2 billion in nearby Macon to build a plant producing 200,000 cars a year, according to the Associated Press via Yahoo. The pledge anchors his closing promise to bolster American manufacturing in a state with two top-tier races on the ballot.

Port Huron Makes History With a Sitting President

Sunday's rally takes place at the McMorran Place Arena in Port Huron, St. Clair County. The Times Herald reported doors open at 11:30 a.m. with remarks at 3 p.m., free admission with a four-ticket limit per registration. Spectrum local news noted it is the first visit by a sitting president in St. Clair County history.

Michigan's Senate Prize: A Seat Republicans Haven't Held Since 1972

The Michigan Senate contest pairs Democrat Abdul El-Sayed against Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers for the open seat of retiring Sen. Gary Peters. Newsweek reported the GOP has not held this particular seat since 1972 and has not won a non-presidential statewide race in Michigan since 2014. Bridge Michigan called it the most expensive Senate race in state history, with a Republican group adding another $4.7 million behind Rogers as the contest tightens.

Obama's Answer: Thousands in Detroit on Early Voting Day One

Hours before Trump's Georgia rally, former President Barack Obama headlined a Detroit rally for El-Sayed and gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson at Cass Technical High School. Yahoo and The Guardian reported thousands attended on Michigan's first day of early voting, with Obama saying El-Sayed would "finish the job we started" with the Affordable Care Act and framing November 3 as a "circuit breaker" to check the Trump presidency. Obama also campaigned in Cleveland the same day alongside Ohio Senate hopeful Sherrod Brown.

Eighteen Trump Mentions and a Rare Tariff Split

Trump loomed over the Michigan Senate debate: one debate account counted El-Sayed invoking him 18 times in an hour, branding Rogers's answers "MAGA bingo." Rogers, however, broke with Trump on tariffs, calling for an end to the trade war with Canada, Michigan's largest international trade partner, according to Bridge Michigan. A CNBC analysis of AdImpact data found only 4.3 percent of Republican general-election ads mention Trump, down from 47.1 percent in the primaries, while Democrats invoke him in 20.9 percent of theirs.

Democrats Stack the Weekend: Buttigieg, AOC and Sanders

Democrats matched Trump's weekend move for move. Ossoff and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg launched an Atlanta canvass focused on health care and living costs on Saturday afternoon, per AOL. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joined El-Sayed for a multicity Michigan swing, and Sen. Bernie Sanders was set to rally with El-Sayed in Grand Rapids on October 25 before heading to Alpena and Ann Arbor on October 26.

Polls, Money and Turnout to Decide Two Senate Seats

An AJC poll cited by the New York Post showed Ossoff leading Collins 48 percent to 40 percent with 12 percent undecided. In Michigan, record spending keeps climbing and both parties are deploying their heaviest surrogates. With early voting underway, turnout over the final ten days will decide two Senate seats that could determine control of the chamber.