Trump visits Georgia, rehashes election claims ahead of midterms

The White House insisted that President Trump was visiting Georgia to promote the economy.

- BY JEFF AMY AND STEVE PEOPLES

But in the opening minutes of his first stop at a local restaurant, the president raised debunked claims of voter fraud, talked up his plan to require voters to show identification before casting ballots, and discussed the recent FBI raid of election offices in the state’s most populous county.

“They came in, they took all those ballots; all those crooked ballots were taken,” Trump said. “And the Democrats are fighting like hell. They don’t want anyone to see those ballots. Let’s see what happens.”

He added, “We're going to clean it up.”

The White House has long said Trump would focus more on the economy, and he frequently complains that he doesn’t get enough credit for it. But recent months have been dominated by other issues, including deadly clashes during deportation efforts in Minneapolis, potential military action in Iran, and his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen.

Trump’s destination in Georgia suggests he has something else on his mind too. After his stop at the Varsity Restaurant, he headed to a steel company in the congressional district previously represented by Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former supporter who resigned in January after feuding with Trump.

There's a special election to replace her on March 10.