In photos: Trump and Biden make final pleas at dueling Georgia rallies on eve of crucial runoff
Published Date: 1/5/2021
Source: axios.com

President Trump and President-elect Joe Biden were both campaigning at events in Georgia Monday night on the eve of the pivotal twin runoffs in the state that'll determine which party controls the Senate.

The big picture: Trump at his rally in north Georgia made baseless claims about the 2020 election and warned the state's Democratic candidates would force a sharp swing to the left. Biden said at his Atlanta event a vote for those candidates, Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, would lead to the Senate granting Americans $2,000 in stimulus checks.


What they're saying: At his event in Dalton, Trump spent much of his speech talking about the presidential election, saying "they're not going to take the White House" and that he's "going to fight like hell."

  • On the Georgia runoffs, Trump said, "These Senate seats are truly the last line of defense. It's really fight for our country, not a fight for Trump."

In Atlanta, Biden said if Warnock and Ossoff were elected, "those $2,000 checks will go out the door, restoring hope and decency and honor for so many people who are struggling right now."

  • He added that if Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler won the runoffs, "those checks will never get there. It's just that simple. The power is literally in your hands."

Of note: Trump last month refused to sign a coronavirus relief bill and government funding measure passed by Congress that his Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was involved in negotiating because he said the stimulus checks should be increased from $600 to $2,000 per person.

  • Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said after House Democrats voted to increase the payments to $2,000 he did not see a "realistic path to quickly pass" such a bill in the chamber, effectively killing off the measure.

In photos: A tale of 2 rallies

A maskless Trump arrives to a packed rally at Dalton Regional Airport in Dalton, Ga. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images
A masked Biden taking social distance coronavirus precautions while greeting supporters wearing face coverings at the Democrats' rally in Atlanta. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump at the Dalton rally. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
Senate Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff and Biden at their rally in the parking lot of Atlanta's Center Parc Stadium. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Republican supporters at the Dalton rally. Sandy Huffaker/AFP via Getty Images
Supporters at the Democrats' rally. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Go deeper: New Republican poll shows statistical tie in Georgia

Editor's note: This article has been updated with more photos.