Mississippi Senate Upset: Trump Credits Colom for Rally Strategy
The president acknowledged the Democrat’s outreach to GOP voters after Colom defeated incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith by a narrow margin.
By Lucas Sheridan ·
President Trump credited Senator-elect Scott Colom on Thursday for his specific approach to winning over Republican voters in Mississippi.
Colom defeated incumbent Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith by a margin of approximately half a point. Decision Desk HQ projected the win on Wednesday after more than a week of counting late-arriving and affidavit ballots. The outcome reversed a 23-point margin Trump secured in the state during the 2024 presidential election.
In an interview with sports commentator Stephen A. Smith at the White House, Trump addressed the result directly. He stated, “I don’t know the gentleman, but I give him credit.” The president noted that he held a rally in Corinth, Mississippi, where lines extended for ten miles. Trump observed that Colom campaigned directly to people in that queue. He added, “I give him a lot of credit for that.”
Colom’s campaign team released a video of this interaction on social media just days before Election Day. In the clip, the senator asked waiting voters about their top concerns. Many cited high prices as a primary driver of their vote. Some also voiced opposition to the war in Iran and current tariffs. By Thursday night, the video had garnered nearly 239,000 views on Facebook and approximately 555,000 views on Instagram.
Pre-election forecasts from DDHQ gave Colom only a 9 percent chance of victory. The race appeared more competitive than expected in the final weeks. Trump focused his campaigning in historically Republican districts, including in Mississippi to support Hyde-Smith. The president maintained that Republicans lost seats because he was not on the ballot, despite telling voters to pretend he was present.
Colom is the first Black senator elected by popular vote in Mississippi history. Only two other Black senators have served in the state, both appointed by the legislature during the Reconstruction era. Black residents make up more than one-third of the state’s population.
The two candidates have a personal political history. Hyde-Smith blocked Colom’s confirmation hearing in 2023 after President Biden nominated him for a federal judgeship. Colom has now blocked Hyde-Smith from securing a second full term in the Senate.
