Mississippi Upset: Trump credits Colom for winning over GOP voters
The president acknowledged the Democrat's strategy of campaigning at a large rally in Corinth, a tactic that helped secure a victory in a state he won by 23 points two years ago.
By Robert Ward ·
President Trump offered praise for Sen.-elect Scott Colom after the Democrat's surprise victory in the Mississippi Senate race.
Speaking to sports commentator Stephen A. Smith at the White House on Thursday, the president said he gives Colom a lot of credit for his campaign efforts.
“I don’t know the gentleman, but I give him credit,” Trump said. He noted that his own rally in the state had lines stretching 10 miles long. Trump claimed Colom campaigned on that line, telling voters in the queue what a good job the president had done.
Colom’s team posted a video of the exchange on social media. The clip shows the senator approaching voters waiting for entry to a rally in Corinth, Mississippi, days before Election Day. In the footage, supporters identify high prices as their top concern. Some also voice opposition to the war in Iran and current tariffs. The video has accumulated nearly 239,000 views on Facebook and approximately 555,000 views on Instagram.
The race resulted in a narrow win for Colom over incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. Decision Desk HQ, the election results partner for The Hill, projected the Democrat won by about half a point. This result came after a week of counting late and affidavit ballots.
The outcome defied pre-election forecasts that gave Colom just a 9 percent chance of success. Trump had campaigned heavily in Mississippi for Hyde-Smith, a move that aligned with his strategy of focusing on historically Republican states. The president continued his argument in the interview that Republicans lost because he was not on the ballot, despite telling voters to treat him as if he were.
Colom is the first Black senator elected by popular vote in Mississippi. He is only the third person to hold the seat in the state's history. The other two appointees served during the Reconstruction era. Black residents make up more than one-third of the state's population. The two candidates have a personal history, as Hyde-Smith blocked Colom's confirmation hearing for a federal judgeship in 2023.
