Presidential candidate Donald Trump is likely coming to Memphis, according to officials in his West Tennessee campaign.
In an attempt to court the Mid- South vote, the business mogul’s campaign recently informed Memphians he will be holding a rally in the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll.
Though the exact date for his arrival has yet to be announced, Terry Roland, the honorary chairman for Trump’s West Tennessee campaign, said the presidential candidate would probably make an appearance some time before the Tennessee Republican Primaries on Mar. 1.
“They’ll give me 48 hours notice,” Roland said. “They will set up a venue. Then they’ll release it to me, and I’ll release it to the public.”
A location for the rally has yet to be determined, but Roland listed the Agricenter, FedExForum, Canon Center and Convention Center as possibilities.
Roland also said he and others have high hopes for the city’s reaction to Trump.
“I’m excited,” he said. “I think he’ll get a good response. A lot of people think he’ll get a good response.”
Roland and other local supporters may be looking forward to Trump’s appearance, but there are plenty of University of Memphis students who stand opposed to the former reality TV star.
Abeer Abdelrahim, 18, a biomedical engineering freshman, is a devout Muslim who plans events for the Muslim Student Association. She said she doesn’t understand how others could support a candidate whom she considers to be intolerant towards Islamic faith.
“With such bigotry so publicly displayed, we thought he was going to
be kicked out,” she said. “But then his polls went up.”
Abdelrahim is worried the event might be dangerous for Muslims.
“It’s not quite safe for us to go,” she said.
Some might wonder why Trump would choose to campaign in Memphis, a city that usually votes Democrat. But Eric Groenendyk, a U of M political science professor who specializes in American politics, said he thinks he has an answer.
“The city of Memphis tends to be a heavily Democratic area,” he said. “But the surrounding areas tend to be strongly Republican. Therefore, there are plenty of votes to court in the area.”
Roland can back up Groenendyk’s theory, as he has received inquiries about Trump’s appearance from several surrounding regions.
“I’ve got people calling me from Texas, from Arkansas and from Tennessee,” he said. “People from Jackson are bringing buses in.”
There are also some Memphians who support Trump.
Brett James, 21, a mechanical engineering junior from Memphis, said he’s excited about the prospect of a Trump rally in Memphis.
“That would be cool to go to,” he said. “And I do think Trump is crazy. But I think it’s the kind of crazy that could shake up the government and make things happen.”
Another student who is considering attending Trump’s rally is Shawn Mufti, 21, a communications junior from Memphis. However, Mufti, who is also a Muslim, said he disagrees with Trump.
“I think if Donald Trump wants to come to Memphis, that’s perfectly fine,” he said. “I would go to his rally because it’s important that we take the time to listen to ideas that are different from ours, even if that means listening to viewpoints or ideas that you consider controversial, offensive or highly offensive.”
