Donald Trump tells supporters to 'just vote' at lively Georgia rally organized by Charlie Kirk

DULUTH, Ga. (AP) — Donald Trump pushed supporters at a rollicking rally Wednesday in Georgia to vote for him — with an early ballot or in-person on Election Day — in a state that will be crucial in the presidential election.

“Just vote — whichever way you want to do it,” Trump told the capacity crowd at an event organized by conservative provocateur Charlie Kirk and the group he founded.

But the rest of former president's speech and the hours-long lineup that preceded him framed the 2024 presidential election in the starkest terms: Trump, the Republican nominee, lobbed hyperbolic insults at his rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, while a parade of other speakers, Kirk included, invoked unapologetically religious tones and described Harris and her Democratic Party as evil.

Democrats “stand for everything God hates,” Kirk said, calling the Trump vs. Harris choice “a spiritual battle.”

“This is a Christian state. I'd like to see it stay that way,” Kirk told the 10,000 or so Georgians, who at one point joined Kirk in a defeaning chant of “Christ is King! Christ is King!”

Meanwhile, Harris, who is a Baptist, used a CNN town hall in Philadelphia to describe Trump as fascistic, further crystallizing the nation's polarized posture with less than two weeks until Election Day.

The Trump campaign strategy of encouraging supporters to consider every voting method is a turn from when the former president blamed his 2020 election loss on mail ballots; the number of people voting early has surged this year. Over 1.9 million voters have cast early ballots in Georgia, where Trump lost by a mere 11,779 votes four years ago to Democrat Joe Biden. Voters nationwide have returned a total of over 23 million advance ballots in the 2024 general election. That’s broken records in multiple states, partly driven by Republicans embracing early voting at Trump’s direction.

Yet as the contest enters its final days, allies like Kirk are searching for people who lean toward Trump but may still sit the election out when it comes to casting a ballot.

“You need to go to every single person you know and say, ‘Are you voting for Trump?’” Kirk told the crowd.

The 31-year-old Kirk has an outsize role in this year's election, using his online presence and the organization he founded, Turning Point Action, to make himself one of the nation's most recognizable conservatives and a central part of Trump's operation. The former president has put a particular emphasis on courting younger men, the “bro vote,” trying to reach them through podcasts, social media and influencers such as Kirk.

The rally, at the Gas South Arena in Duluth, was filled with Turning Point's signature pyrotechnics. Trump used it to feature three figures who represent the populist coalition he is trying to assemble: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who ran his own campaign for president this year before endorsing Trump; former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democrat who announced this week that she is joining the Republican Party; and Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News commentator who has attracted millions of followers with his bravado-heavy social media presence. He added country music singer Jason Aldean, whose “Try That in a Small Town” single was a reaction to urban protests.

Carlson whipped the crowd into a frenzy by reassuring them that liberals and political elites were the “bizarre minority” in U.S. politics, while Trump's “Make America Great Again” supporters comprise a “gentle, tolerant” movement. Carlson cast Trump as America’s “Dad” and said a Trump victory over Harris would mean “Dad’s home! And he’s pissed!” — while also being a “big middle finger wagging” at “the worst people in the English-speaking world.”

Later in the night as Trump spoke, some in the crowd shouted out, “Daddy’s home!”

Wednesday's rally was strategically located in part of the swath of metro Atlanta where Trump underperformed four years ago in his reelection campaign. Kirk and Trump are also scheduled to appear at a rally Thursday evening in Las Vegas.

Trump praised Kirk for “working so hard” on the rally and other campaign efforts.

Earlier Wednesday, Trump made his own pitch to conservative Christian voters at a faith-focused town hall held at a church in Zebulon, about 50 miles south of Atlanta. He made the dubious claim that Christians don’t vote in high numbers.

“When you have faith, when you believe in God, it’s a big advantage over people that don’t have that,” he said, arguing that Christian voters are energized in his favor this year.

At the end of what was billed as a “Believers and Ballots” event, Trump moved outside to address an overflow crowd. Several hundred people were assembled in the church parking lot, chanting “USA!”

Beyond his work in Georgia, Kirk's Turning Point is pitching state and local Republican officials in a get-out-the-vote operation in Arizona, Wisconsin and elsewhere. Critics question the group's claims and its use of an app that has minimal protections to secure voters’ personal information. In a recording of one meeting obtained by The Associated Press, a group operative declared, “We now are an official arm of the Trump campaign.”

Earlier this week, Kirk and Vivek Ramaswamy took the stage in downtown Atlanta, a decidedly liberal environment for the conservatives to hold court with college students. The event was part of Kirk’s “You’re Being Brainwashed Tour,” which stops on college campuses across the swing states. More than the field work, the “Brainwashed” tour has become perhaps his most visible presence in the closing months of the campaign.

Within minutes, Ramaswamy, the biotech entrepreneur who sought the Republican presidential nomination this year, and Kirk were jousting with Georgia State University undergraduates over their choices in the Nov. 5 presidential election.

Trump and his aides argue that his populist nationalism appeals to younger voters frustrated by an inflationary economy and rising housing prices.

“I’m definitely voting for Trump because he reflects my values as a conservative and as a Christian more than Ms. Harris,” said 25-year-old student Jean Pierre.

Kirk repeated Trump’s misrepresentation that Harris has been singularly responsible for immigration policy. He amplified the falsehood that 325,000 children have been “lost” at the border during Biden’s term.

Kirk also defended the Trump supporters who attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as Congress met to certify Biden’s election.

Ashli Babbitt, who was shot dead by a Capitol Police officer inside the building, was unarmed, Kirk said. He asked rhetorically whether the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man killed by a white Minneapolis police officer in 2020, was acceptable. That drew jeers and more than a few expletives.

Kirk, who is white, went on to say: “Black people in America are getting put last, which seems to be a theme the last 60 years when Democrats are in charge.”

The crowd, which reflected the racial and ethnic diversity of Georgia State’s enrollment, largely did not react. Turning Point staffers and local conservatives cheered.

Pierre praised Kirk for trying to organize on liberal-leaning campuses. Yet he seemed vastly outnumbered in the crowd by students who were there to push back at the host or simply to watch the combative exchanges.

Jason Evans and Tyler Hill showed up in “White Dudes for Harris” attire.

Said Hill: “I’m just here for the show.”

Associated Press writer Stephen Groves in Washington contributed reporting.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., speaks during a campaign rally with Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Duluth, Ga. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump shakes hands with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., at a Turning Point Action campaign rally, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Duluth, Ga. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard hugs Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump as Tucker Carlson yells during a campaign rally Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Duluth, Ga. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks to an overflow crowd after a faith town hall at Christ Chapel Zebulon, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Zebulon, Ga. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

People listen as Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks to an overflow crowd after a faith town hall at Christ Chapel Zebulon, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Zebulon, Ga. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks to an overflow crowd after a faith town hall at Christ Chapel Zebulon, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Zebulon, Ga. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a faith town hall with Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones at Christ Chapel Zebulon, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Zebulon, Ga. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a faith town hall with Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones at Christ Chapel Zebulon, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Zebulon, Ga. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Supporters arrive before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a Turning Point Action campaign rally, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Duluth, Ga. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Jason Aldean speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a Turning Point Action campaign rally, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Duluth, Ga. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump listens during a faith town hall with Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones at Christ Chapel Zebulon, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Zebulon, Ga. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at a Turning Point Action campaign rally, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Duluth, Ga. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a Turning Point Action campaign rally, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Duluth, Ga. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

SEATTLE (AP) — Boeing factory workers voted Wednesday to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a six-week strike that has halted production of the aerospace giant’s bestselling jetliners.

Local union leaders in Seattle said 64% of members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers who cast ballots voted against accepting the proposal.

“After 10 years of sacrifices, we still have ground to make up, and we’re hopeful to do so by resuming negotiations promptly,” Jon Holden, the head of the IAM District 751 union, said in a statement Wednesday evening. “This is workplace democracy — and also clear evidence that there are consequences when a company mistreats its workers year after year."

A spokesperson for Boeing said officials didn’t have a comment on the vote

The labor standoff comes during an already challenging year for Boeing, which became the focus of multiple federal investigations after a door panel blew off a 737 Max plane during an Alaska Airlines flight in January.

The strike has deprived the company of much-needed cash that it gets from delivering new planes to airlines. On Wednesday, the company reported a third-quarter loss of more than $6 billion.

Union machinists assemble the 737 Max, Boeing’s best-selling airliner, along with the 777 or “triple-seven” jet and the 767 cargo plane at factories in Renton and Everett, Washington.

The offer rejected Wednesday included pay raises of 35% over four years. The version that union members rejected when they voted to strike last month featured a 25% increase over four years.

The union, which initially demanded 40% pay boosts over three years, said the annual raises in the revised offer would total 39.8%, when compounded.

Boeing has said that average annual pay for machinists is currently $75,608.

Boeing workers told Associated Press reporters that a sticking point was the company’s refusal to restore a traditional pension plan that was frozen a decade ago.

“The pension should have been the top priority. We all said that was our top priority, along with wage,” Larry Best, a customer-quality coordinator with 38 years at Boeing, said on a picket line outside a Boeing factory in Everett, Washington. “Now is the prime opportunity in a prime time to get our pension back, and we all need to stay out and dig our heels in.”

Theresa Pound, a 16-year Boeing veteran, also voted against the deal. She said the health plan has gotten worse, with higher premiums and more out-of-pocket expenses, and her expected pension benefits would not be enough, even when combined with a 401(k) retirement account.

“I have put more time in this place than I was ever required to. I have literally blood, sweat and tears from working at this company,” the 37-year-old said. “I’m looking at working until I’m 70 because I have this possibility that I might not get to retire based on what’s happening in the market.”

The strike, which began Sept. 13, has served as an early test for Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, who became chief executive in August.

In his first remarks to investors, Ortberg said earlier Wednesday that Boeing needs “a fundamental culture change,” and he laid out his plan to revive the aerospace giant after years of heavy losses and damage to its reputation.

Ortberg repeated in a message to employees and on the earnings call that he wants to “reset” management’s relationship with labor “so we don’t become so disconnected in the future.” He said company leaders need to spend more time on factory floors to know what is going on and “prevent the festering of issues and work better together to identify, fix, and understand root cause.”

Ortberg, a Boeing outsider who previously ran Rockwell Collins, a maker of avionics and flight controls for airline and military planes, said Boeing is at a crossroads.

“The trust in our company has eroded. We’re saddled with too much debt. We’ve had serious lapses in our performance across the company, which have disappointed many of our customers,” he said.

But Ortberg also highlighted the company’s strengths, including a backlog of airplane orders valued at a half-trillion dollars.

“It will take time to return Boeing to its former legacy, but with the right focus and culture, we can be an iconic company and aerospace leader once again,” he said.

In recent weeks, Ortberg announced large-scale layoffs — about 17,000 people — and a plan to raise enough cash to avoid a bankruptcy filing.

Boeing hasn’t had a profitable year since 2018, and Wednesday’s numbers represented the second-worst quarter in the manufacturer’s history. Boeing lost $6.17 billion in the period ended Sept. 30, with an adjusted loss of $10.44 per share. Analysts polled by Zacks Investment Research had expected a loss of $10.34 per share.

Revenue totaled $17.84 billion, matching Wall Street estimates.

The company burned nearly $2 billion in cash, in the quarter, weakening its balance sheet, which is loaded down with $58 billion in debt. Chief Financial Officer Brian West said the company will not generate positive cash flow until the second half of next year.

Shares of The Boeing Co. fell 2% in regular trading Wednesday.

Boeing’s fortunes soured after two of its 737 Max jetliners crashed in October 2018 and March 2019, killing 346 people. Safety concerns were renewed this January, when a panel blew off a Max during an Alaska Airlines flight.

Ortberg needs to convince federal regulators that Boeing is fixing its safety culture and is ready to boost production of the 737 Max — a crucial step to bring in much-needed cash. That can’t happen, however, until the striking workers return to their jobs.

Early in the strike, Boeing made what it termed its “best and final” offer. The proposal included pay raises of 30% over four years, and angered union leaders because the company announced it to the striking workers through the media and set a short ratification deadline.

Boeing backed down and gave the union more time. However, many workers maintained the offer still wasn’t good enough. The company withdrew the proposed contract on Oct. 9 after negotiations broke down, and the two sides announced the latest proposal on Saturday.

The last Boeing strike, in 2008, lasted eight weeks and cost the company about $100 million daily in deferred revenue. A 1995 strike lasted 10 weeks.

Koenig reported from Dallas. Lindsey Wasson in Everett, Washington, contributed to this report.

Boeing employees on strike arrive to vote on a new contract offer from the company Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, at the Aerospace Machinists Union hall in Renton, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Boeing employees on strike arrive to vote on a new contract offer from the company, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, at the Aerospace Machinists Union hall in Renton, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Volunteers tally votes on a new contract offer from Boeing, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, at Seattle Union Hall in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Volunteers tally votes on a new contract offer from Boeing, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, at Seattle Union Hall in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Volunteers tally votes on a new contract offer from Boeing, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, at Seattle Union Hall in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Volunteers tally votes on a new contract offer from Boeing, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, at Seattle Union Hall in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Volunteers tally votes on a new contract offer from Boeing, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, at Seattle Union Hall in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Volunteers tally votes on a new contract offer from Boeing, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, at Seattle Union Hall in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

A volunteer holds a vote to accept a new contract offer from Boeing, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, at Seattle Union Hall in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Volunteers tally votes on a new contract offer from Boeing, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, at Seattle Union Hall in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Union members watch as volunteers tally votes on a new contract offer from Boeing, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, at Seattle Union Hall in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

A worker holds a picket sign as Boeing employees vote on a new contract offer from the company, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, at a voting location in the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

A worker holds a sign as Boeing employees vote on a new contract offer from the company, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, at a voting location in the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Boeing mechanic Eugenio, who preferred not to give a last name, sounds a bullhorn while holding a sign as employees gather to vote on a new contract offer from the company, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Everett, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Boeing employees on strike arrive to vote on a new contract offer from the company, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, at a voting location in the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Bartley Stokes Sr., who has worked for Boeing for 46 years, encourages other employees on strike to vote no on a new contract offer from the company Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, at a voting location in the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Boeing employees on strike enter a voting location to cast their ballots on a new contract offer from the company, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, at the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

FILE - Nadia Milleron, parent of Samya Rose Stumo, one of the victims of the Boeing 737 Max crash in Ethiopia, holds her photograph as she speaks at a news conference on Capitol Hill, June 18, 2024, in Washington. ( AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

In this photo provided by Boeing, CEO Kelley Ortberg is shown during a visit to the Boeing factory on Aug. 8, 2024 in Renton, Wash. (Marian Lockhart/Boeing via AP)

Boeing 737 Max aircrafts are seen behind fences, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at the company's facilities in Renton, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Union machinists wave signs next to company's factory in Everett, Wash., on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Valdes)

Union machinist Terry Muriekes waves a Halloween-decorated strike sign by Boeing's Everett, Wash., factory on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Valdes)

Union machinists wave signs next to company's factory in Everett, Wash., on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Valdes)

Union machinist Terry Muriekes waves a Halloween-decorated strike sign by Boeing's Everett, Wash., factory on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Valdes)