Tennessee Republicans urge base to ‘hold the line’ despite economic pressures during Trump visit

Republican speakers at a rally headlined by President Donald Trump in Clarksville Saturday asked voters to “hold strong” to a Republican ticket in the midterm election amid frustration over inflation and high gas prices.

They painted Tennessee’s role as a “red wall” against Democratic competition.

The rally marked Trump’s second appearance in Tennessee in a two-week period. Recent polling has indicated waning Republican enthusiasm toward the Nov. 3 election, and nonpartisan election-rating organization The Cook Political Report shows some races previously rated as “toss ups” now leaning toward Democrats. None of those races are in Tennessee, where Cook rates all nine seats as “Solid Republican” following a 2026 midcycle redistricting that allowed the state’s Republican supermajority to redraw district lines to favor Republican victories.

Saturday’s rally drew about 4,500 people to the 6,000-seat FM Bank Arena.

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, the Republican nominee for governor, acknowledged “a lot of us are frustrated with inflation and gas prices” as the midterm approaches, stating without specifics that Democratic wins would mean higher prices and restricted freedoms.

Blackburn faces Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerri Green, a Memphis Councilmember and interim Shelby County Chief Public Defender, and a slate of independent candidates including businessman David Hatley and former Lipscomb University professor Lauren Pinkston.

Blackburn characterized Green as a “radical socialist” and Hatley and Pinkston as Democrats. (Hatley identifies himself as a conservative independent candidate, and Pinkston positions herself as a “moderate” alternative).

“Let’s send a message on November 3 that Tennessee is the great red wall standing against socialist policies creeping into this country,” Blackburn said near the close of her speech. 

Charlie Hatcher talks diesel prices

Farmer and former state Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, Republican nominee for Tennessee’s newly drawn 5th congressional district, said the party “cannot afford voter apathy … it will get us beat.”

Hatcher unseated Trump-endorsed incumbent U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles in the primary and was endorsed by Trump soon after. 

Hatcher described diesel fuel — which reached record-breaking prices in Tennessee in September amid the war in Iran and other international pressures — as the “lifeblood of the economy,” and said Trump’s administration is working on deals.

“Just give it a little time, we’ll get that taken care of,” Hatcher said.

Trump instructed the U.S. Treasury to defer federal taxes on off-road diesel fuel last week and Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said the state would suspend enforcement of off-road diesel use on public roads for agriculture operations through the end of October, equating to a potential temporary savings of about 50 cents per gallon. But trade associations are urging diesel-powered vehicle drivers and fuel providers to wait for more detailed guidance on deferred taxes. 

“Tennessee needs to hold the line. We need to carry these nine congressional seats,” he said.

In a social media post on Sunday, Hatcher wrote he was honored to be asked by Trump to speak at the rally.

“While I may not agree with every decision or every word, I firmly support the Republican agenda: lower taxes, less regulation, secure borders, a strong military, American energy and responsible government spending,” Hatcher wrote.

On crime and punishment

Blackburn and Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton emphasized a tough-on-crime platform. Sexton and Trump praised the Memphis Safe Task Force, a coalition of federal and state agencies deployed at Trump’s order in Memphis in October 2025.

The task force has made 203,694 traffic stops since its inception, 16,507 misdemeanor arrests and 11,817 felony arrests, according to a dashboard on the city’s website. Agents of the task force have shot and killed four men since May.

Trump touts Memphis law enforcement surge in Tennessee rally meant to shore up midterm support

The task force’s presence in Memphis spurred a surge in the detention of immigrants. About 2% of immigration arrests in the city involved violent crime, according to an April analysis from ProPublica and local outlet MLK50.

Blackburn said Tennesseans support the death penalty and hinted at potential future efforts to reduce the time offenders spend on death row during appeals.

“When a heinous killer receives the death penalty, Tennesseans want to see it carried out successfully,” Blackburn said. “After all the appeals are exhausted, they do not want people to spend decades on death row, and they want the victim’s family to be able to get closure.”

Blackburn did not mention the recent failed execution of death row inmate Christa Pike, who survived two lethal injections. It was Tennessee’s second failed execution this year, after physicians tried and failed for more than an hour to insert intravenous lines into death row inmate Tony Caruthers in May. Lee has ordered an independent review of the state’s lethal injection process.

Sexton also encouraged Tennessee’s Republican base to vote in favor of a ballot amendment that would allow judges to deny the right to pretrial bail for people accused of some felonies. Sexton sponsored the bill to get the measure on the ballot during the 2025 legislative session.

J. Holly McCall contributed.