Trump Corinth Rally Live: Hyde-Smith Calls Election 'Communism vs. Democracy' Ahead of Trump's 6 P.M. Speech

The program is under way at Crossroads Arena in Corinth, Mississippi, where President Donald Trump is scheduled to speak at 6 p.m. CT Monday for Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith's reelection. Supporters lined up from 4:30 a.m., doors opened at 2:30 p.m., and the crowd numbered around 2,000 by the time the program began at 4:30 p.m. in an arena that holds about 7,700, according to the Clarion Ledger's live coverage from the arena. Hyde-Smith faces Democrat Scott Colom and Independent Ty Pinkins on November 3.

Hyde-Smith gave the evening its sharpest line before the president arrived. "The choice facing our country right now could not be clearer. We know what we're looking at. This is socialism vs. capitalism, and we know that," she said. "Communism vs. democracy. And big government vs. the free market. It could not be higher stakes." She pointed to what she called the largest tax cut in American history, the Laken Riley Act and the HALT Fentanyl Act, and said of her home area: "Rural America at its best is in Corinth, Mississippi."

Rep. Trent Kelly, whose district includes Corinth, argued gas prices are lower now than at their peak under President Joe Biden and said of the push for green energy: "I don't want to be green. I want to be red, white and blue." The Clarion Ledger's fact check alongside his remarks noted Mississippi's regular unleaded record of $5.02 a gallon was set in June 2022, while the state's diesel record of $6.53 was set on September 22 of this year, tied to the Iran war and oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz. Mississippi Republican Party chair Mike Hurst opened the program by telling the crowd, "The party of law and order is back." Ahead of the rally, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told Newsmax there has been "no better friend to the farmer" than Trump, while acknowledging short-term pain from tariffs and fuel prices.

The race Trump flew in to shore up has tightened. Poliwave's simulator and FiftyPlusOne both put Hyde-Smith's lead at about 3 points, down from 6 to 8 points in August, VoteHub estimates a 92.6 percent probability she wins with about 54.6 percent of the vote, and last week the Cook Political Report moved the race from Solid Republican to Likely Republican, according to the Clarion Ledger. Trump left the White House Monday afternoon and spoke to reporters before boarding Air Force One; the Ledger reported the White House blocked CNN and Politico from traveling with the press pool. Mississippi has no early voting, but absentee ballots can be cast in circuit clerk offices through Saturday, October 31.