Jackson changes course after initially saying he would skip second Trump rally this month

Republican candidate for governor Rick Jackson will join President Donald Trump at a second rally this month after all.

Jackson’s campaign said on Monday that he would skip Trump’s upcoming Saturday rally in middle Georgia, opting instead to act as “a force multiplier” at an event with Gov. Brian Kemp in suburban Atlanta as the race, which polling averages indicate is a virtual tie, enters the final stretch.

By Friday afternoon, the campaign changed course, saying that Jackson will now do both as Republicans try to boost turnout.

“We can confirm that after working out the logistics, Rick will now be able to attend both his rally with Gov. Kemp in Cherokee and the president’s rally in Perry,” said Jackson’s spokesperson Garrison Douglas.

Since Jackson won the GOP nomination in June, the Republican who once said he would be “Trump with a Southern tone” has sought to align himself more with Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. But about one week ago, Jackson joined Trump on stage at a rally in Dalton after also taking part in a tele-rally with the president the previous Sunday. Now, Jackson will campaign with Kemp Saturday afternoon and then join Trump in Perry in the evening for another push to turn out his supporters for the midterms. The rally was first announced for Macon but will now take place at the Guardian Centers in Perry. 

Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms’ campaign pounced at the opportunity to tie Jackson to Trump, which has been a focus of her campaign as Trump’s approval rating sits at 33% in Georgia, the lowest since his second term began, according to a Civiqs poll. And a new poll from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution also shows that 55% of likely Georgia voters disapprove of Trump’s job performance.

“Slick Rick Jackson proved again today that he will always come running every time Donald Trump calls for him,” said Bottoms’ campaign spokesperson TaNisha Cameron. “Georgia voters know all that they need to know: Rick Jackson will always put Donald Trump first, and Georgians last.”

The Democratic Party of Georgia piled on, with party spokesperson Jake Strickland saying in a statement that “when it comes to Trump, Slick Rick Jackson is like a moth to a flame.”

“The fact that Jackson is spending precious time campaigning with the president on three different occasions in just the last few weeks tells you that he will never, ever stand up to Donald Trump – and will bend the knee no matter how much it hurts the people of Georgia,” Strickland said.

Early voting is underway and runs through next week. Election Day is Nov. 3.