President Trump urged voters at a rally in Monroe, Louisiana, Wednesday night to back businessman Eddie Rispone's bid to unseat the state's Gov. John Bel Edwards (D), whom he labeled a "radical, liberal," ahead of the Nov. 16 runoff.
President Trump: "Early voting has started so get out and vote for Eddie Rispone, and do it right away, and then let's go to the football game and let's do lots of things." pic.twitter.com/F4lLLrsRlw
— The Hill (@thehill) November 7, 2019
The big picture: Trump previously used the impeachment inquiry against him as a political rallying cry in Mississippi and Kentucky gubernatorial races — but its success in campaigns has yet to be seen. Democrats flipped Virginia's state Senate and House of Delegates in state elections Tuesday.
- In Mississippi, Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves beat Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood in a tight race to be elected Mississippi’s governor.
- In Kentucky, Republican Gov. Matt Bevin formally requested a recanvass of votes for the state's gubernatorial race on Wednesday, after tailing behind Democratic opponent Andy Beshear by just over 5,000 votes.
What he's saying: At the rally, Trump also denounced the House impeachment inquiry as a "hoax" and recognized 2020 candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren's rise in the polls by resurrecting his "Pocahontas" slur in a fresh attack on the Massachusetts senator.
- "Pocahontas is starting to rise from the ashes," he said, adding he "thought she was gone" over controversy surrounding her Native American heritage claims. (A DNA test last year showed "strong evidence" that she had a Native American ancestor 6–10 generations ago.)
Go deeper: Trump slams Dems in rallying cry for Kentucky governor ahead of race
