CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — The Donald Trump for President rally takes place Friday at the massive Historic Greenbrier Farms Nursery in Chesapeake, but there was little evidence of it Monday.
Kenneth Basnight, president of Basnight Land and Lawn, was unavailable for comment about how this plan for the rally developed, but at its office, several people were gathered under a tent and 10 On Your Side was told that there was a meeting discussing details of what would happen on Friday.
Norfolk State’s Political and Legal Analyst Dr. Eric Claville thinks Republicans see opportunity to flip Virginia from blue to red.
“I believe Virginia right now, if you look at the polls, is currently in play, and here in Chesapeake, you have a lot of support in this particular area on the southside,” Claville said.
During the Thursday debate in Atlanta, Claville expects President Biden to lay out his résumé.
“He’s going to talk about the economy that was slated to crash, but it did,” Claville said. “He will talk about inflation that is still a little high. However, there are many jobs available, and we don’t have a lot of workers to fill those jobs.”
He expects former President Trump to come out swinging.
“He will try to knock the current president off of his game to show that he is not fit to serve either cognitively or physically another four years and that he’s the better choice,” Claville said.
Trump’s strongest issue to pound away at?
“I believe the former president’s strongest issue was immigration,” Claville said. “He was very tough on immigration during his presidency, and I believe that he continues to be very tough on it now.
What does Claville think President Biden’s big reminder for the debate is?
“Keep asking, ‘do you want stability, or do you want a convicted felon,” Claville said, “and I believe the strongest issue for the current president is stability and what he’s done to bring the country out of the pandemic.”
Claville said Trump’s likely running mate would likely be, in order:
- North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum
- Florida Sen. Marco Rubio
- Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance
- South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott
He does not think Virginia Gov. Glenn Younkin is in that same group.
“I don’t think I’m reading he could be the guy,” Claville said. “Right now, though, Virginia is closer than it has ever been (for Republicans) in the last several presidential cycles. … Right now, from the latest poll from June 24 that I looked at, it shows that there is a plus 2.2, maybe 3% advantage for Biden.”