Donald Trump campaigned for U.S. Senate candidate Mike Collins and gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson in Georgia on Friday afternoon, telling the crowd he would give everyone $5,000 if Republicans took the U.S. House and Senate.Trump told the crowd in Dalton to pretend like he is on the ballot.
“The story is this: We get 49% more votes when I’m on the ballot,” Trump said. “When I’m not on the ballot, I guess it’s a compliment; people don’t show up so much.”
Trump called the midterm election the “most important” ever.
“We can’t have them take it away from us, from our country, because we’ve made America greater than we ever thought possible,” Trump said. “But you have to go out and vote. So pretend I’m on the ballot, get that 49% of the people.”
Trump repeated his $5,000 payment promise while on the stage in Dalton. According to previous reporting by The Center Square, a single round of payments would cost over $1.2 trillion, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
Customs duties, the revenue Trump has pointed to, brought in $194.9 billion after refunds in fiscal 2025 and $167.3 billion in the first 11 months of fiscal 2026, according to Treasury’s Monthly Treasury Statement. The Tax Foundation estimates Trump’s new tariffs will net about $125 billion in 2027, about a tenth of the dividend’s cost.
Trump reiterated claims that he won the 2020 presidential election. He also said Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, Collins’ opponent, lost his election in the January 2021 runoff against former Republican Sen. David Perdue.
“The whole thing was crooked,” Trump said. “But Ossoff lost that election, but they gave it to him because it was a rigged election. That’s the only reason he became a senator.”
Joe Biden defeated Trump 306-232 in the Electoral College in the 2020 election. Georgia contributed 16 electoral votes to the Democrats’ win, not enough by itself to reverse the 74 votes needed to overcome Biden.
Ossoff defeated Perdue with 50.6% of the vote to Perdue’s 49.39%, according to election results from the Georgia Secretary of State.
Trump called Collins to the stage toward the end of his speech.
“Sir we appreciate your leadership, your backbone, your standing up for America and putting America first,” Collins said.
Trump called Jackson a “truly great man” and one of the “best businessmen in America.”
“I’m running to help vulnerable people,” Jackson said in a three-sentence statement after Trump called him to the stage. “And there’s never been a president who has done more for foster children who are abused and neglected than this man here. And on behalf of all foster children, I want to thank you, Mr. President, for caring about our vulnerable children.”
Bottoms criticized Jackson’s appearance with Trump after he canceled several debates.
“This same Rick Jackson will come out of hiding to stand next to Donald Trump,” Bottoms said. “The Donald Trump who he says he doesn’t disagree with a single policy that has come from this Trump White House. That means he doesn’t disagree with the tariffs that are wreaking havoc on businesses across Georgia.”
Trump’s visit comes at a time when neither candidate has a major lead in the polls.
The latest poll from InsiderAdvantage released Wednesday shows Jackson ahead with 49%-47%. Four percent of the 800 likely voters were undecided.
Collins has consistently trailed behind Ossoff.
The latest survey from Wedgewood Polls of 600 Georgians shows Ossoff leading with 55%-45%, with a 4% margin of error, according to 270towin.com.
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