President Donald Trump held a midterm campaign rally Thursday night at the Choctaw Event Center in Durant, about 20 miles north of Denison across the Red River, after storms forced him to swap a planned flight for a highway motorcade.
Trump had been scheduled to fly into Durant Regional Airport after touring the Peterbilt truck plant in Denton earlier in the day. KTEN reported that weather delays threatened the timing of the evening event, so the president traveled by road instead. Whitesboro police and fire crews helped with traffic control as the motorcade passed through that Grayson County town, according to KXII.
Durant police put his arrival at 7:09 p.m.; the rally had opened at 6 p.m.
Campaigning for Mazzei
The event was largely a push for Republican Mike Mazzei, Oklahoma's GOP nominee for governor, who spoke before the president along with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. Trump told the crowd that "just 33 days from now, the people of Oklahoma are going to defeat the radical left Democrats," The Frontier reported.
Trump also said he would send each adult U.S. citizen a $5,000 check if Republicans keep control of the House and Senate, The Frontier reported, though he gave few details. The outlet estimated the pledge could cost more than $1.35 trillion.
Mazzei promised to eliminate property and state income taxes for seniors and veterans and criticized Democratic nominee Cyndi Munson's support for diversity, equity and inclusion programs. A prerecorded debate between Mazzei and Munson aired during the rally. The Frontier reported no response from the Munson campaign to the rally remarks.
