Trump Tests Midterm Message On Immigration, MS-13 ‘Animals’ During Tenn. Rally

President Trump speaks during a rally in Nashville, Tenn., on Tuesday.

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Updated at 9:27 a.m. ET

President Trump tried out his own midterm playbook Tuesday at a campaign rally in Tennessee by ramping up his rhetoric on illegal immigration and gang-related crimes.

The president’s main goal with the Nashville event was to campaign for GOP Rep. Marsha Blackburn, who finds herself in a close Senate contest with former Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen that could be pivotal in deciding control of the Senate.