President talks 'Trump Ocean,' trades jokes with Tennessee crowd as Kid Rock kicks off sprawling rally
Trump rallies Tennessee, touts jobs, crime‑fighting and “Trump Ocean” idea
Clarksville, Tenn. – On Saturday, November 2, President Donald J. Trump hosted a campaign rally in Clarksville, Tennessee, in advance of the nation‑wide midterm elections. The event, attended by a crowd of thousands, saw the former president combine economic, domestic‑security, foreign‑policy and comedic remarks while urging voters to support Republican Senate candidate Bill Hagerty and gubernatorial contender Marsha Blackburn.
A wide‑ranging address
Trump opened the rally with a speech that highlighted the administration’s economic record, citing a $6.6 billion investment by Korea Zinc in a new critical‑minerals smelter in Clarksville that is expected to create 740 jobs across Montgomery and Smith counties. He also referenced a $275 million investment by General Motors in its Spring Hill plant that would expand production of next‑generation turbocharged Cadillac engines. “Your state will soon be home to the first new mineral smelter in the United States, first one built since 1979,” Trump said.
The White House, in a fact sheet released at the event, claimed that Republican‑backed tax policies had preserved $23 billion in economic activity in Tennessee and that the average Tennessean would receive a $3,674 tax refund in 2026.
In addition to economic updates, Trump spent time addressing public‑safety issues. He praised federal law‑enforcement operations in Memphis, noting that about 12,000 dangerous criminals had been removed. The White House cited a 36 percent drop in murders in the city, attributing the decline to the Memphis Safe Task Force.
Foreign‑policy flashpoints
The former president turned to foreign policy, calling Iranian leaders “crazy” and describing Tehran’s recent rhetoric as softened by U.S. military actions. “They have no navy. They have no air force. They have no anti‑aircraft equipment,” Trump said. He also joked that the Strait of Hormuz might one day be known as the “Trump Strait,” and that the Gulf of Mexico should be renamed the “Gulf of America.” Trump floated the idea of a “Trump Ocean” that could encompass the Atlantic or Pacific, saying, “We need a river. We need an ocean.”
Kid Rock’s opening act
The rally’s musical opener was Kid Rock, who delivered a religious‑themed speech that praised Trump’s leadership and criticized the news media. The rocker also condemned Islamist extremism, stating, “We are not, and we will never be, one nation under Mohammed, because we are, and we always will be, one nation under God.” Kid Rock joked, “Literally, President Trump could walk across the Cumberland River, and tomorrow the headline would say President Trump refuses to swim.” He also addressed the topic of religious freedom and the perceived threat of religious laws that could override the Constitution.
Calls to vote and a nod to the future
Trump reminded the crowd that he had carried Tennessee in all three of his presidential campaigns and said, “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.” He urged supporters to back Republican candidates for the November elections, adding, “In this election, I’m asking you to do me a favor. Pretend. Just pretend that I’m running.”
The rally ended with a mix of policy highlights, patriotic rhetoric, and a handful of off‑script jokes, setting the tone for Trump’s final push ahead of the November 3 midterm vote.