In a Monday evening “tele-rally,” President Donald Trump urged New Jerseyans to vote for Republican Jack Ciattarelli on Tuesday and attacked Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair), the Democratic nominee for governor.
The 15-minute event was similar to a tele-rally he had held with Ciattarelli last week, except this time he was joined by Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-Dennis). As he did last week, Trump lauded Ciattarelli’s energy and public safety policies and said Sherrill was a member of the “radical left.”
“If you want to see really low energy costs, vote for Jack,” Trump said. “He will deliver safe communities, as well, for the law-abiding citizens of his state.”
Restore New Jersey, a super PAC backing Ciattarelli, sponsored the tele-rally. The president participated in a similar event in the lead-up to June’s primary election.
Like last week, Trump did not mention the Gateway Tunnel project, an $18 billion effort to build rail tunnels connecting New Jersey and Manhattan. Trump’s promise to end the massive, decade-long rail project has thrown a wrench into Ciattarelli’s campaign, and Ciattarelli has promised to push for the project’s completion if elected, a potential rift with the president. Sherrill has attacked Ciattarelli over the issue in the closing weeks of the campaign, saying Ciattarelli will be unable to stand up to the president to protect Gateway or other New Jersey priorities.
The tele-rally began with a three-minute rendition of Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the U.S.A.
Van Drew closed the event with a plea for voters to turn out for Republicans on Tuesday.
“President Trump and I need a partner in Trenton,” he said. “We’re finally going to have one in Governor Jack Ciattarelli.”
