Republican Senators announce Trump plans for Georgia rally as presidential vote recount begins

Republican Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue of Georgia celebrated President Donald Trump’s plans to gather in the state this weekend as another presidential recount began and the Senate elections approached.

The Commander-in-Chief revealed his intention to host an event in Georgia at a White House press conference on Thanksgiving, telling reporters his team was looking for a large venue in the state.

“I’m leaving on Saturday night, I’ll be in Georgia, we’re going to have a great crowd,” Trump said. “They are looking for the right site. We would love to take one of the big stages, but you can’t because of COVID.”

He then said his team would be looking at outdoor sites such as airport hangars, which were the sites of several Trump gatherings during the height of the presidential campaign and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reacting to the announcement, Senator Loeffler tweeted: “I am delighted to welcome Donald Trump back to Georgia next Saturday for a rally with [David Perdue] & me! We will ALWAYS have his back – and I’m so honored that he has ours! “

“We look forward to welcoming Donald Trump back to Georgia!” Perdue added, sharing a clip of the president’s announcement.

Newsweek contacted the Trump campaign for details on the rally. This article will be updated with any response.

The president unveiled plans to rally in the state just two days after the official Georgia election recount began on Wednesday, following an official request from Trump’s re-election team on Saturday last week.

According to the initial results tally, Biden beat Trump by a slim 0.25 percentage point margin. The laws of the state of Georgia state that a candidate can request a recount on a vote that falls within a margin of less than 0.5 percentage point.

If the state returns to President Trump after a recount, the overall election result will not be affected, as President-elect Joe Biden will still have won the majority of the electoral college’s votes.

While coinciding with the Georgia recount, Trump’s rally could also be a timely intervention ahead of the second round of the state Senate elections slated for Jan.5 of next year. If only one of the GOP incumbents retains their seat, Republicans will retain their overall majority in the upper house.

But if their Democratic rivals Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock score victories in crucial races, the Senate will be split 50-50, meaning Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will have a deciding vote, giving Democrats an effective majority in the bedroom.