Trump Takes Tennessee Rally Stage in Clarksville Days Before Early Voting Begins
The president is set to speak at 2:30 p.m. CT in Clarksville to boost Republican candidates, returning to Tennessee amid a legal battle over press access and as Isaias remnants push through the state.
President Donald Trump is set to take the stage in Clarksville, Tennessee, on Saturday afternoon for a midterm rally at F&M Bank Arena, with the Republican National Committee billing the event as a way to “supercharge” his base in the Volunteer State.
Doors opened at 11 a.m., and Trump is scheduled to speak at 2:30 p.m. Central Time, according to live coverage from The Tennessean. Hundreds of supporters streamed into the 6,000-seat arena, packing the lower front sections and floor seats as music played over the loudspeakers. Among the first in line was an East Tennessee woman attending her 77th Trump rally, one of a dedicated group of supporters known as the “Front Row Joes” who camp near arenas for days to secure front-row seats.
The rally is aimed at boosting congressional candidates, Sen. Bill Hagerty, and gubernatorial nominee Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Trump said in his announcement on Truth Social. It comes four days before early voting begins in midterm elections that polls forecast will be a harsh rebuke for Republicans, and marks Trump’s second visit to the state in a matter of weeks, after he attended the University of Tennessee football game against Texas on Sept. 26.
Storm clouds and a courtroom fight
The president’s arrival comes as the remnants of Hurricane Isaias push through Tennessee. Clarksville is under a wind advisory until 8 p.m. with gusts up to 35 mph and up to an inch of rain expected, and a flood watch is in effect until 7 a.m. Sunday across several Middle Tennessee counties. Trump canceled a planned appearance at the Alabama–Georgia football game Saturday evening because of the storm system.
The rally also unfolds against an escalating legal battle over press access. On Sept. 18, Trump barred CNN, Politico and MS Now from the White House over what he called unfavorable coverage; on Sept. 26, CNN reporters were denied boarding Air Force One for the Knoxville trip. The outlets sued, arguing the bans violated their constitutional rights, and on Oct. 8 a Trump-appointed federal judge extended a restraining order against the White House until a final decision is reached Tuesday, Oct. 13. ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and NBC suspended pooled coverage in solidarity until the reporters were allowed back.
Reporting based on coverage by The Tennessean.
