Now begins one of the most crucial phases of the upcoming election cycle, where candidates must turn to commonly overlooked flyover states. The state of Kentucky has once again found itself in the political limelight, attracting recent visits from Trump and Sanders, seeking to garner some favor within the reddened Bluegrass State. While not conventionally a battleground state, it is imperative for the GOP to retain their control over their established voter base. They are particularly concerned with warding off challengers like Amy McGrath, who threaten to challenge political heavyweights like Mitch McConnell. As always, rallies and other visits tend to evoke powerful sound-bites, either to the satisfaction or the shame of candidates and supporters alike.

President Trump paid a visit to Louisville, Kentucky on August 21st to speak to about 2,500 AMVETS members, a veterans association based in Kentucky. Trump has enjoyed significantly higher approval among veterans, as much as 15 percent on average than the general public.

From his speech, President Trump displays his showman qualities, championing rebuilding the “depleted” and “exhausted” military, whose budget, per the speech, is hovering around 730 billion dollars annually. The crowd seemed to be enthusiastic as he thanked a myriad of people, ranging from Medal of Honor recipient Woody Williams to other important political figures such as Betsy DeVos, Mitch McConnell, and Matt Bevin, to whom he promised to campaign with. Bevin, the incumbent governor of Kentucky, is in critical need of Trump’s aid, who presently possesses significantly higher approval ratings than his Kentuckian comrade. Next, Trump rightly thanked Senator Mitch McConnell, specifically citing his “hard work,” and his part in appointing an astounding amount of judges under this administration’s tenure.

As the speech continued, Trump stayed true to his tradition of everything being “the best,” and alludes to the formation of the longingly imagined space force. President Trump also bragged about recent advances within the VA system, including signing the Veterans Accountability Act, which sought to streamline access to medicine. Continuing on that note, Trump claims to have slashed the employment of thousands of perceived bad actors in the VA, reducing opioid prescriptions by 30%. Also, he took a more dire tone to address the epidemic of veteran suicide, calling upon drug company Johnson & Johnson to give out their experimental anxiety medication for free to veterans. He proceeded to impressively champion dramatically lowering unemployment for veterans, and that same day signed into law an act that would totally relieve the student debt of about 25,000 disabled veterans.

What is there to take away from all of this? All in all, the progress that has been made in the administration is promising for veterans. They are bound to be a critical voting block as the 2020 election draws ever closer. Trump will need to solidify his reputation with current veterans, and it is especially imperative that he makes amends with retired veterans. The voting pattern consists of active duty veterans voting at 61% for Trump in 2016, but retired and non-active veterans voting only 45% for Trump.

Following his appearance at the AMVET convention, he headlined Governor Matt Bevin’s fundraiser. This was a smart move for Bevin, who remains to be the least popular governor in the US, and is acutely aware that he needs Trump to bolster his reputation among Kentuckian voters. Whether or not Bevin can successfully hang onto Trump’s coattails may be his only chance at retaining his office. Trump, whose approval rating in Kentucky is notably higher than Bevin’s, is even forcing democratic candidates like Andy Beshear to choose their words carefully. This is to ensure that potential turncoats are not discouraged from switching sides. The incumbent governor’s efforts were not useless, as he successfully managed to raise tens of thousands of dollars with the help of Trump. As things stand, Trump’s continued aid is indispensable as democratic candidate Beshear remains hot on Bevin’s trail leading into the upcoming gubernatorial election.

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