Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith got spooked at a rally in her home state of Mississippi with President Trump Monday.
Hyde-Smith, who is up for reelection next week, was supposed to speak after Trump introduced her but upon reaching the podium, she said one sentence and then bolted.
“Is this not the best president of our lifetime?” Hyde-Smith told the crowd, before stepping down. Trump quickly attempted to spin her abrupt departure.
“Thank you, Cindy. I love that, you know? Sometimes they get up and they talk for 10 minutes,” Trump said.
Despite the rally being held in a Southern, staunchly Republican state, Trump was interrupted at least three times by hecklers during his own speech, including one who shouted, “Shove that ballroom up your fat ass!” While Trump dismissed the protester as being “paid $250 by [George] Soros,” it seems Hyde-Smith was scared to be on the stage with Trump for too long.
Trump’s historic unpopularity is bringing the entire Republican Party down, putting safe states like Mississippi in play. Anti-Trump protesters would have been unheard of in the Magnolia State in previous years, but the president’s policies have caused a backlash even in deep red states.
Hyde-Smith’s reelection campaign wasn’t going well before this rally. In February, in response to people upset over high beef prices, she said, “You know you have so many proteins to choose from.” That was quickly seized upon by her Democratic opponent, Scott Colom, who put out an attack ad where a man grilling burgers said, “Pick another protein? I’d rather pick another senator instead.” Colom trails Hyde-Smith by only three points in the latest poll.