President Donald Trump rallied supporters in Clarksville, Tennessee, on Saturday, campaigning for Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty and gubernatorial candidate Marsha Blackburn ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. The event, opened by musician Kid Rock, mixed economic messaging, foreign policy remarks, and off-script humor as the president urged voters to back GOP candidates even though his name will not appear on the ballot.
Kid Rock delivered a religious-themed introduction, praising Trump's leadership while criticizing the news media. «Literally, President Trump could walk across the Cumberland River, and tomorrow the headline would say President Trump refuses to swim,» the musician joked. He also condemned Islamist extremism and defended religious freedom, telling the crowd, «We are not, and we will never be, one nation under Mohammed, because we are, and we always will be, one nation under God.» Trump later thanked his longtime supporter by his given name, Bob.
On the economy, Trump promoted Korea Zinc's planned investment of more than $6 billion in Tennessee, a project expected to create 740 jobs across Montgomery and Smith counties. Tennessee officials announced the $6.6 billion project in December, describing it as the largest single private corporate investment in state history. The plans include a new critical-minerals smelter in Clarksville and the reopening of a former mine in Gordonsville. «And your state will soon be home to the first new mineral smelter in the United States, first one built since 1979,» Trump said. The project is intended to strengthen domestic supplies of minerals used in semiconductors, defense technology, and advanced manufacturing.
Trump also cited General Motors' previously announced $275 million investment in its Spring Hill manufacturing facility to support production of next-generation turbocharged Cadillac engines. He credited his tariff policies with encouraging domestic investment, arguing that companies were expanding American manufacturing to avoid import duties. In a Tennessee-focused fact sheet released as the rally began, the White House asserted that Republican-backed tax policies had preserved $23 billion in economic activity in the state. The administration also cited an average $3,674 tax refund for Tennesseans in 2026.
Public safety was another focal point of his address, with Trump praising federal law-enforcement operations in Memphis and claiming approximately 12,000 dangerous criminals had been removed. The White House separately asserted that murders and overall crime in Memphis had declined approximately 36%, crediting the Memphis Safe Task Force.
On foreign policy, the president addressed tensions with Iran, calling the country's leaders «crazy» while claiming that Tehran's rhetoric had softened following U.S. military operations. «They don't talk that way anymore, by the way,» Trump said after recounting previous threats from Iranian leaders. He described what he characterized as extensive damage to Iran's military capabilities, claiming 159 ships had been sunk and its air force and air-defense systems destroyed. «They have no Navy. They have no Air force, they have no anti-aircraft equipment,» Trump said. He then pivoted from the Strait of Hormuz to an unexpected geography lesson, suggesting it could one day be called the «Trump Strait.» He also revisited his decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America before floating additional changes to the map. «We need a river. We need an ocean,» Trump said, suggesting the Atlantic or Pacific could become the «Trump Ocean» or «Ocean of the Americas.» «Before I get out, I think we should have an ocean,» he added, without announcing any formal renaming plans.
The president also shared lighter moments about first lady Melania Trump, describing her objections to his theatrical impersonations of athletes during discussions about transgender participation in women's sports. «She said it's not presidential,» Trump recalled, before joking about her film career. «There is only room for one star in a family, so I don't need this movie stuff. I don't need it.»
Trump, who carried Tennessee in all three of his presidential campaigns, said the visit was also an opportunity to thank supporters in a state where he had enjoyed strong electoral backing. «Sometimes it's nice to go to a place where you don't have to be, but you're there to say thank you to the great people that elected you three separate times in record time,» Trump said. He repeatedly returned to the November elections, urging supporters to back Republican candidates. «In this election, I'm asking you to do me a favor. Pretend. Just pretend that I'm running,» Trump said.