Although the venue for two major presidential campaign events this week in Atlanta was the same, the rallies could not have been more different.
Hours before Vice President Kamala Harris took the stage on Tuesday at Georgia State University’s Convocation Center in Downtown Atlanta for her campaign event, former President Donald Trump announced he would have a rally at the same venue on Saturday.
The dueling political rallies offered a unique opportunity to compare the two campaigns competing for the White House.
Audience
Trump
Trump made his view clear that his rally was superior in size and substance, claiming people only came to Harris’ rally because of the entertainment. Trump kept returning to the topic of audience size throughout his speech. He expressed frustration at Georgia State University, claiming they refused to let in thousands of supporters. WABE reached out to the school for comment but has not yet heard back.
Harris
According to the Harris campaign, its event drew more than 10,000 supporters. Tickets for the rally were free but not marketed to the general public.
Entertainment
Trump
Trump’s rally had no notable musical guests. Trump mentioned multiple times that he didn’t need entertainers. His speech lasted more than 90 minutes. There was a nearly hour gap between Vance ending his speech and Trump taking the stage. Some audience members were seen sleeping.
But when it mattered, the crowd seemed engaged and enthusiastic. Smoke cannons went off when Trump came out on stage.
Harris
Megan Thee Stallion performed at the Harris rally in a blue cropped pantsuit with backup dancers. Trump claimed people only came from the entertainment and left as soon as Harris started speaking, but Harris’ speech was relatively brief, clocking in at about 20 minutes in length.
Attendees seemed lively and enthusiastic. Parker Short is president of the Young Georgia Democrats. He went viral after the rally for footage of him singing and dancing to Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.”
Messaging
Trump
“Make America Great Again”
“Lyin Kamala, You’re fired!”
“Kamala Harris is weak, failed, and dangerously liberal”
Vance’s speech had the typical cadence and style of a campaign rally. He criticized Harris’ political record but also accused her of faking a Southern accent. As mentioned, Trump’s speech was over 90 minutes long. He attacked Harris from multiple angles, including her intelligence, calling her a “low-IQ individual” and a “dumber version of Bernie Sanders.”
In Atlanta, Trump spent a significant amount of time praising Georgia Republicans, like Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. He also bashed Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger for refusing to help him subvert the 2020 election results in Georgia. He claimed they want to see him lose in November.
Harris
“Freedom”
“Let’s WIN This”
“When we fight, we WIN”
The campaign materials for Harris are positive and determined. She’s chosen to have her name “Kamala” lead her signage, at least until she picks a running mate. Her stump speech is pretty similar from rally to rally. It’s only 20 minutes long and starts out with Harris talking about how her experience as a prosecutor makes her uniquely qualified to beat Trump.
In Atlanta, Harris said the path to the White House goes through Georgia and challenged Trump to a debate, saying, “As the saying goes, if you’ve got something to say, say it to my face.”
Guests
Trump
The Trump rally featured Georgia Republican leaders like Reps. Marjorie Taylor Green and Mike Collins, and former Sen. David Perdue. A Black conservative activist named Michaelah Montgomery, who made news for organizing a campaign stop at a Chick-fil-A in April, gave a passionate speech in support of Trump. He brought her back on stage later in the night toward the end of his speech.
Harris
The Harris rally featured Georgia Democratic leaders such as Stacey Abrams, Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Osoff, Rep. Nikema Williams, and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. The rapper Quavo also took the stage to speak against gun violence. After Quavo’s nephew and fellow Migos group member Takeoff was shot and killed in 2022 in Houston, he’s become outspoken on the issue of gun violence.
