NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Nashville, Tennessee (all times local):
12:35 a.m.
President Donald Trump has accused House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of being an “MS-13 lover” and dismissed a Democratic Senate candidate as a “tool” of Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
That line of attack is likely to become familiar as Trump boosts Republican congressional candidates ahead of midterm elections.
He traveled to Tennessee on Tuesday to promote the Senate candidacy of congresswoman Marsha Blackburn. She is likely to face Democratic former Gov. Phil Bredesen in a fall contest that’s among those crucial to holding onto a Republican majority.
Besides headlining a private fundraiser for Blackburn, Trump used a public rally to urge supporters not to become “complacent” this fall while Democrats were “sticking together” to block his agenda.
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8:45 p.m.
President Donald Trump is resurrecting his rallying cry that Mexico will pay for his proposed border wall, despite sensitive ongoing negotiations over the future of a key North American trade deal.
Acknowledging the sensitivity of the subject but abandoning caution, Trump says, “I don’t want to cause a problem, but in the end, Mexico’s gonna pay for the wall.”
Talks are continuing to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, which Trump calls “crazy.”
Mexico has tirelessly objected to the notion that it would pay for the wall - for which Trump has sought billions from Congress - and Trump’s talk on the matter has strained relations between the two countries.
Trump says Mexico is “going to pay for the wall and they’re going to enjoy it.”
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8:30 p.m.
President Donald Trump is attacking Tennessee Democratic Senate candidate Phil Bredesen at a rally for his GOP opponent in Nashville.
Trump says he’s never heard of the Democratic former governor of the state, and is branding him an “absolute total tool” of Senate Minority Chuck Schumer.
Trump says Bredesen is also a tool of “MS-13 lover Nancy Pelosi.” The House Democratic Leader criticized Trump earlier this month for calling members of the international gang “animals.”
Trump is also highlighting Bredesen’s donations to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in 2016.
He says, “Phil Bredesen supported her and he supported her ideas,” noting Clinton was opposed to the construction of a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico.
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8:20 p.m.
President Donald Trump has taken the stage in Tennessee for a campaign rally to boost Republican Senate candidate Marsha Blackburn.
Trump is hailing Blackburn as a very early supporter of his presidential campaign and a “very wonderful woman.”
The House member is expected to face Democratic former Gov. Phil Bredesen to replace retiring GOP Sen. Bob Corker in a race that will help determine the future of GOP control of the Senate.
Trump says, “We need Marsha in the Senate to continue the amazing progress and work” of his first 16 months in office.
The president is highlighting the nation’s economic performance under his tenure, including a declining unemployment rate.
Trump adds, “I’m the only politician who produced more than I said I was going to produce, and we’re only 1.5 years in.”
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6:40 p.m.
President Donald Trump is resuming his efforts to build a stable of Republicans who will promote his agenda and serve as a check on Democrats aiming to regain control of the House or Senate - if not both.
Trump is inNashville, Tennessee, to raise campaign cash for Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn, who’s running for a Senate seat, and to headline a rally with his most loyal supporters.
Blackburn is expected to face Democratic former Gov. Phil Bredesen to replace Republican Sen. Bob Corker, who is retiring. The Tennessee campaign is among several races crucial to Trump’s plans to maintain control of the Senate, where Republicans are defending a narrow two-seat majority.
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