EVANSVILLE, Ind.—President Donald Trump continued his string of recent midterm election endorsements at a rally in Evansville, Indiana, on Aug. 30.
Inside the packed Ford Center, Trump campaigned for Republican businessman Mike Braun, who is attempting to unseat vulnerable Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly. The race is seen as one of the most competitive Senate races nationally.
At the start of his speech, Trump praised Indiana and touted the nation’s economic growth, “We are putting your great Indiana coal miners and steelworkers back to work.”
He called the new trade deal with Mexico “beautiful,” while adding that Canada doesn’t “treat us fairly.”
At multiple points during his speech, the crowd broke into cheers of support and chants of “USA! USA!”
Braun is the founder and CEO of Meyer Distributing and owner of Meyer Logistics. His campaign website says he has employed thousands of people across the lower 48 states. Earlier in the day, Trump called Braun a “very successful businessman” on Twitter.
“He’s a special man and he’s going to be a truly great senator,” Trump said, as he invited Braun on stage to speak.
Braun responded by praising Trump and called on voters to help him unseat Donnelly.
“This man makes promises and keeps them,” Braun said of Trump. “And he needs a true ally, not someone who says something when your in Indiana and does something different in D.C. I’m not going there for the pay or the perks or the pensions they get… I’m going there to make this man have an ally.”
Braun, with the audience joining in, chanted: “Joe’s gotta go!, Joe’s gotta go!”
Trump talked about the “fake news” media, following on from his many tweets on the subject in recent days. He also called out social media companies, including Google for “rigged” search algorithms that he said favored liberal media over conservative.
The president criticized the Democratic Party for obstruction.
“We need Republicans in Congress,” Trump said. “The so-called resistance is mad because their ideas are being rejected by the American people. We are getting rid of those ideas so fast and it is driving them crazy.
“A vote for Mike’s opponent ‘sleepy Joe’ is a vote for Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, and who else? Maxine Waters,” Trump said.
The president plans to spend more than 40 days campaigning for Republicans in the lead-up to the Nov. 6 midterm elections.
