Trump visit to Cape is canceled

President Donald Trump�s visit to Cape Girardeau has been canceled as potentially catastrophic Hurricane Florence bears down on the East Coast.

Michael Glassner, chief operating officer of Donald J. Trump for President Inc., said, �With Hurricane Florence on its way, we determined that this is the safest decision.�

U.S. Rep. Jason Smith, R-Salem, Missouri, called the cancellation decision �the right call.�

The 8th District congressman told the Southeast Missourian �the president represents the whole country and that�s the right decision.�

He said the hurricane could cause severe flooding along the East Coast.

But Smith said the �red carpet� is out for Trump and he will continue to request the president visit Southeast Missouri at a future date.

�I have already asked,� he said.

Smith said the region�s residents were looking forward to the rally scheduled for Thursday evening at the Show Me Center.

�People were so excited,� Smith said.

The congressman said Trump campaign officials indicated the public response for rally tickets was �one of the best� they had seen.

Smith said Southeast Missouri is �Trump country� and �that�s why I want him here.�

The 8th District ranked seventh among nation�s 435 congressional districts in voter support for Trump in the 2016 election, Smith said. Trump beat Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton by more than 54 percentage points in the presidential election, he said.

Trump had planned to urge the defeat of Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill at the rally. He�s backing her Republican challenger, Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley.

Trump won Missouri by 18 percentage points in 2016. McCaskill is a top target for Republicans seeking to expand the party�s slim 51-49 edge in the U.S. Senate.

She is among 10 Senate Democrats up for re-election this year in states Trump won.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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