Politics
Trump’s Mississippi rally underscores an unexpectedly competitive Senate race
President Donald Trump traveled to Corinth to campaign for Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, who faces a stronger-than-expected challenge from Democrat Scott Colom. The visit came as Republicans confront voter frustration over inflation and other issues with control of Congress at stake.
CORINTH, Miss. — President Donald Trump campaigned Monday at Crossroads Arena in Corinth for Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, making a late push in a state that has long been a safe bet for the GOP but now has an unexpectedly competitive Senate race.
Hyde-Smith is seeking a second full term against Democrat Scott Colom, a local prosecutor. Trump told rallygoers he was there because Hyde-Smith was doing well but said he did not want to take chances. He then attacked Colom, calling him a “Marxist radical” and accusing him of falsely presenting himself as a moderate.
Colom attended the rally site before Trump arrived, saying he wanted to hear directly from the president’s supporters. He argued that Mississippians deserve a senator who listens to them and understands what they are experiencing.
Mississippi remains strongly Republican: Trump carried the state in 2024 and won it three times by an average of nearly 20 percentage points, according to the report. Hyde-Smith remains the favorite, but Colom is seeking to capitalize on inflation, Trump’s declining popularity and missteps by the incumbent. A Senate Democratic super PAC entered the contest late with a $1.2 million investment.
A Colom victory would make him the first Black senator from Mississippi since the Reconstruction era. The state has not elected a Democratic senator since 1947; its last Democratic Senate victory was John Stennis’ 1982 reelection.
Trump’s appearance began a final-week campaign push that also included planned stops in Texas, South Carolina and Iowa. The rallies in reliably Republican states reflect broader uncertainty for the party as voters register discontent with inflation, the war with Iran and other aspects of Trump’s second presidency. More than 30 million people had already voted nationwide, according to figures compiled from election administrators.
At the Mississippi rally, Trump said he had expected gas prices to climb even higher and said the Iran war would be over soon. He also defended the outcome, saying it had worked out fine.
The election could reshape power in Washington and state governments. Democrats are seeking to end Republicans’ narrow House majority and retake the Senate, while the GOP argues its candidates are closing strongly. Sen. Tim Scott, who chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said Trump’s campaigning was helping Republican candidates across the country.