Donald Trump looks to rev up supporters in the South

Bloomberg

President Donald Trump continues a campaign swing through the South this week, where he’ll try to fire up his core supporters by taking on Democrats’ impeachment effort.
Trump was expected to plan rallies in Kentucky on Monday and Louisiana on Wednesday — states he won in 2016 by wide margins — and he’ll also seek to boost Republican gubernatorial candidates there.
The appearances come after the House voted on October 31, mostly along partisan lines, to begin public hearings into what Democrats say is an abuse of power by Trump. Democrats are examining Trump’s efforts to encourage Ukraine to investigate political rival and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, using millions of dollars in aid to the former Soviet republic as leverage.
As the impeachment inquiry escalates, Trump is using the rallies to maintain support among Republican voters and political leaders.
Trump has also seen value
in lending support to GOP candidates ahead of off-year elections in traditionally Republican states, viewing the races as opportunities to flex his political muscles with only minimal risk.

Unpopular Incumbent
The president’s rally on Monday at Rupp Arena in Lexington — home to the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team  — was expected to seek to help Republican Matt Bevin, among the nation’s least popular governors despite his state’s significant GOP lean.
Bevin, running in a state Trump won by 30 percentage points in 2016, is tied in his re-election race with Democratic Attorney General Andy Beshear, according to a Mason-Dixon poll released in October that showed both candidates attracting the support of 46% of voters. The state’s election is on Tuesday.
Last month, Bevin called the impeachment inquiry an “absolute travesty” and challenged Beshear to state his position on what the Republican described as a “fundamental question” for Kentucky voters.
In a campaign ad, Bevin highlighted impeachment and immigration as pivotal issues.
“Beshear opposes President Trump,” the ad’s voice-over says. “His top supporters want to impeach our president.”

Louisiana Run-Off
On Wednesday, Trump heads to Monroe, Louisiana, his second visit to the state in a month. There, he’ll stump for Republican gubernatorial candidate Eddie Rispone, who’s challenging incumbent John Bel Edwards, the only Democratic governor in the Deep South.