Monroe was a political hotbed Wednesday as Governor John Bel Edwards and President Donald Trump descended on the city as the 2019 Louisiana Governor’s race heats up. Thousands crammed into the Monroe Civic Center to hear the President hype up Republican candidate Eddie Rispone.
“Eddie is pro-energy, pro-life, pro-family, and pro-Second Amendment,” said Trump who added, “Eddie will defend your values from the all-out assault by the extreme left.”
And said he couldn’t believe a deep red state that went handily for Trump in 2016 had elected a Democratic governor just a year before.
“So you’re going to fire your liberal Democrat Govern- I don’t know how the hell he ever got there? How did he get there? This is Louisiana, right? This is Louis- how did you get a liberal Democrat to be your Governor? Can you explain that please?” said Trump in one of his many attacks on the only Democratic governor in an SEC state.
Before the President’s arrival, Edwards spoke to hundreds of supporters at a Monroe park. He slammed Rispone for bringing the President into the race, saying the Baton Rouge businessman had to bring in a national leader because he has no local plans.
“You cannot serve as Governor of the great state of Louisiana from Washington D.C.,” said Edwards. “Bobby Jindal tried that and he nearly bankrupted our state.”
Edwards slammed Rispone for calling for tax cuts that the Governor says would wreck higher education. He also warned against Rispone’s plans for Medicaid.
“He wants to repeal the Medicaid expansion, and his plan would literally kick 300,000 people off of the healthcare rolls in the state of Louisiana,” said Edwards.
Early voting for the November 16th run-off runs through Saturday.
