As Georgia’s early voting puts the pivotal state on a knife-edge, former President Donald Trump leaned heavily into anti-migrant rhetoric at his final rally in Macon on Sunday. Speaking to a packed crowd at the Atrium Health amphitheater, Trump vowed to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1790, a controversial law used to intern Japanese, Italian, and German Americans during World War II, against undocumented immigrants if he wins back the White House in 2024.
“The United States is now an occupied country,” Trump declared to fervent applause. “This is thousands of people all over our towns and cities.” The incendiary comments came just days after the murder of Minelys “Mimi” Zoe Rodriguez-Ramirez in Cornelia, Georgia, allegedly by a suspect who is in the country illegally, according to Trump.
Early Voting Surge Puts Georgia in Play
The stakes couldn’t be higher in Georgia, where over four million voters have already cast their ballots in record-breaking numbers. While turnout has been robust statewide, the traditionally Democratic stronghold of metro Atlanta is slightly outpacing Republican-leaning rural counties. Macon-Bibb County, the site of Trump’s rally, voted nearly 2-to-1 for Biden in 2020 but is surrounded by Trump country.
Trump Takes Aim at Former Generals, Blames Harris for Border Woes
In a rambling speech, Trump called the retired generals who served under him “stupid”, singling out former Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, ex-Chief of Staff John Kelly, and erstwhile Defense Secretary James Mattis. All three have become vocal Trump critics, with Kelly recently labeling him “fascist to the core.” The former president also pinned blame for the immigration crisis squarely on Vice President Kamala Harris. “She broke it and I’ll fix it,” he quipped.
Republicans Sue to Block Weekend Voting as “Trash” Comments Resonate
Underscoring the heated battle over ballot access, Georgia GOP Chair Josh McKoon told the crowd his party had filed a federal lawsuit to stop Fulton County from accepting hand-delivered absentee votes over the weekend, comparing the accommodations to the hotly disputed 2020 election. A judge swiftly rejected the last-minute challenge. Meanwhile, Republicans seized on Biden’s apparent jab calling MAGA supporters “garbage” for cheering when a comedian dubbed Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.” The president denies disparaging Trump voters, but rally speakers gleefully appropriated the slight. “I can tell you if this is what they consider garbage, then I’ll take this trash all day long,” Georgia Lt. Governor Burt Jones declared to raucous cheers.
As Trump and his allies stoke the flames of division in the campaign’s waning days, it remains to be seen whether his hardline immigration stance will galvanize the base enough to put this crucial swing state back in the GOP column. With the margins razor-thin and passions running high, every vote could make the difference in Georgia and beyond. The future of the nation may well hang in the balance.
