Trump visits Georgia, a target of his election falsehoods, as Republicans look for midterm boost

By JEFF AMY and STEVE PEOPLES, Associated Press

ROME, Ga. (AP) — The White House insisted that President Donald Trump was visiting Georgia to promote the economy.

But in the opening minutes of his first stop at a local restaurant, the president raised the prospect of voter fraud without evidence, talked up his plan to require voters to show identification before casting ballots, and discussed the recent FBI raid of election offices in the state’s most populous county.

“They came in, they took all those ballots; all those crooked ballots were taken,” Trump said. “And the Democrats are fighting like hell. They don’t want anyone to see those ballots. Let’s see what happens.”

He added, “We’re going to clean it up.”

The White House has long said Trump would focus more on the economy, and he frequently complains that he doesn’t get enough credit for it. But recent months have been dominated by other issues, including deadly clashes during deportation efforts in Minneapolis, potential military action in Iran, and his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen.

Trump’s destination in Georgia suggests he has something else on his mind, too. After his stop at The Varsity Restaurant, he headed to a steel...