What surprised me at the Trump rally

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October 06, 2026

Today in Alabama history: In 1949, Lonnie Johnson was born in Mobile. He became a NASA engineer and, an inveterate tinkerer, created the Super Soaker water gun and several other inventions.

Something to think about

Rhett Marques (right) speaks alongside President Donald Trump during a rally in Mobile, Ala., Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (Will McLelland/AL.com)

I covered my first Trump rally on Friday in Mobile. I knew some of what to expect -- long day, big crowds, lots of security, lots of fact-checking -- but here are a few things that stood out to me.

Trump's lasting power. I know this, of course, but it's one thing to see the president's influence broadly in American politics and another to hear it from 8,000 people at once. The huge cheer Trump got when he entered USA's Mitchell Center rivaled any concert or football walkout I've been at. (Crowd sizes are perilous territory, but yes, it was a smaller crowd than in 2015.)
Hometown favorite. Jerry Carl, who formerly represented the 1st Congressional District, got what I think were the biggest cheers of the night after Trump. He is likely to reenter Congress after this election. On stage, he and Rep. Barry Moore, who currently holds that district, shook hands.
Tuberville's stump speech. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, the nominee for governor, used a little bit of his speech to offer a bit of a pitch. There weren't a ton of specifics -- but it offers a sense of his priorities: Education, workforce development and business.
The playlist. No shade on people who love Broadway, but that was a lot of Andrew Lloyd Webber. I think I counted three Phantom of the Opera songs and two Cats songs.
Who was in the room, and who wasn't. Mayor Spiro Cheriogotis said he wouldn't attend, because he is nonpartisan. We spotted Alabama basketball coach Nate Oat behind Katie Britt.
Republicans are worried about AL-2. Multiple people have told me they are watching Rhett Marques' race, which some polls have rated as a tossup, very closely. Almost every speaker at the rally made sure to highlight the election, and Marques himself got a few minutes. He said voters will have to choose "common sense over craziness" this year. My read: The race is tigher than the GOP thought it would be.

We are now 30 days out from the general election. Here are two stories to bookmark + share with your friends (they are not paywalled): Key issues and races to watch and our master election guide.

Is there anything on your ballot you have questions about? Send me a note at rserven@al.com.

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Catch up on recent stories from AL.com.

🎤 Trump's Mobile rally claims fact-checked by Alabama reporters — here's what didn't add up.

🏀 Bruce Pearl calls out Auburn's Turning Point chapter for hosting a controversial Florida figure at campus event.

💸 Alabama lawmaker proposes refunding bridge tolls at tax time — calling it the best of both worlds.

🗳️ Shomari Figures' election fate may hinge on voters in one Alabama county this November.

POLL 🗣💬

What's Your Take?

Sen. Chris Elliott wants to give Alabama drivers a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for tolls paid on the new I-10 Mobile River Bridge. What do you think of this idea?

Love it. Commuters crossing Mobile Bay to work shouldn't be punished for the cost

It sounds nice, but I doubt Elliott's bill will actually pass this time around

I'd rather they just scrap the toll entirely

It's a gimmick. Commuters would still be paying for the toll one way or another

I'm not sure yet

Your responses are kept completely confidential and are not shared with any third-party.

Poll results from last week

What's your take on President Donald Trump's visit to Mobile this week?

30.0% It's not about Alabama at all, it's about Trump.

19.5% I have no idea.

18.4% Republicans are nervous and need help.

17.4% Republicans are winning and want to secure their lead.

14.7% It won't help Alabama Republicans, but might help Democrats.

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From D.C.: Laws awaiting signature

Sens. Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville both voted to move forward the Ratepayer Protection Act, which looks at the cost of data center development, and a bill to manage insider trading. Both efforts failed because Democrats opposed them. The trading bill had a poison pill that would add voter ID requirements to elections, which Democrats did not want to support.

Several bills in Congress have passed both chambers and now await Trump's signature, including:

-A bill that ends production of the penny.

-A bill that makes it easier for emergency alerts to go to cellphones, spurred by the deaths at Texas' Camp Mystic.

-A bill that clarifies how much Social Security benefits you can claim at each age.

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See you right back here next Tuesday!

Thanks,

Ruth

Ruth Serven Smith is a senior managing producer at AL.com who leads community engagement and audience development initiatives. She moved to Birmingham in 2020 and is originally from Oklahoma.

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What surprised me at the Trump rally

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