Donald Trump’s challengers for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination are converging on Atlanta to take part in a conservative conference, just days after prosecutors in the US city filed criminal charges against the former United States president.
Trump will not speak at The Gathering, an Atlanta event hosted by syndicated radio host Erick Erickson on Friday and Saturday, but several other GOP White House hopefuls will be in attendance.
Six of the ex-president’s 2024 rivals are scheduled for onstage interviews with Erickson, an influential conservative who has been critical of Trump.
That includes Florida Governor Ron DeSantis – who is a distant second behind Trump in the race for the Republican nomination – and former US Vice President Mike Pence, who has increasingly criticised his ex-boss amid a string of criminal indictments against him.
Most recently, Trump and 18 of his allies were charged in Georgia this week over their efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 US election, which the former Republican president lost to Democratic President Joe Biden.
It was the second indictment against Trump this month related to election interference, and the fourth time he has been criminally charged so far this year.
He was indicted on federal election interference charges in early August, as well as on federal charges of mishandling classified documents in June. He also faces a state-level prosecution in New York linked to a hush-money payment made to a porn star.
Yet despite his legal troubles, Trump – who has denied any wrongdoing in all the cases and portrayed the charges as an effort to derail his 2024 campaign – retains solid support among Republican primary voters.
Experts have said many believe Trump’s claims that he is the victim of a politically motivated “witch hunt”.
“It’s hard for anybody to get any oxygen in the room with President Trump,” Terry Lathan, a former Alabama Republican Party chairwoman who has previously backed Trump but now supports DeSantis for the 2024 nomination, told The Associated Press news agency.
“Donald Trump can be exhausting,” Lathan said. “But people will walk on broken glass to vote for the guy.”
Back in Atlanta, Erickson – the organiser of The Gathering – said in his welcoming address on Friday morning that the event was meant to allow discussions that do not involve Trump and his drama – and said the ex-president would not be in attendance.
“This is our time to come together and hear from people why they’re running for office, why should we vote for you … what’s your vision,” Erickson said.
DeSantis, Pence, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley are set to appear in the Atlanta neighbourhood of Buckhead, a Republican-leaning enclave in an otherwise Democratic-dominated city, on Friday.
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy will speak on Saturday.
Each candidate will join Erickson for a question-and-answer session, with the moderator promising a focus on issues, including artificial intelligence, Christian nationalism in the US, and dealing with China as a global rival.
Trump’s challengers will also have a chance to make their case directly to the American public next week, when the Republican Party holds its first televised debate of the 2024 campaign in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Wednesday’s event will give the White House hopefuls a chance to try to narrow the gap with Trump, who has suggested that he will not be attending, citing his sizeable lead over the other candidates.
“People know my Record, one of the BEST EVER, so why would I Debate? I’M YOUR MAN. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Thursday.
The former president also cancelled a news conference planned for Monday, during which he had promised to release a report showing “irregularities” in the 2020 US elections in Georgia.
Trump, who still falsely claims that he lost the vote to Biden due to widespread fraud, said on Thursday that his lawyers will include the findings in legal filings instead.
Meanwhile, Al Jazeera’s John Hendren, reporting from Atlanta on Friday, said Trump has spoken about possibly holding a competing event at the same time as next week’s debate.
“But the issue is that he doesn’t have to [attend the debate] because he’s ahead [in] the polls,” said Hendren, pointing to recent polls that showed Trump with a double-digit lead over his closest GOP rival, DeSantis.
“And all these other candidates are going to be asked whether they support the [former] president despite his legal woes, and because he has so much support in the Republican base … many of them have been advised to offer support to Trump,” Hendren said.
“Very few of them have been critical of him.”
Olivares went 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored Friday against Atlanta.
Olivares got the start in right field with a lefty on the mound and occupied the cleanup spot. He took advantage of the opportunity by delivering RBI knocks in the third and sixth innings. Olivares is a candidate to see more playing time after the Pirates optioned Jack Suwinski to Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday.
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – A woman was hospitalized after being shot in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward neighborhood, according to Atlanta police.
According to police, officers responded to 398 Parkway Drive NE and found a woman with “apparent gunshot wounds.”
The woman was taken to the hospital for treatment. Police said one person has been detained in connection with the shooting.
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Photograph by James Cool
It might seem counterintuitive given pandemic and postpandemic shopping habits, but malls are thriving. According to a recent study by Coresight Research, a retail research and advisory firm, top-tier enclosed malls are flourishing, outperforming in occupancy, revenue, and foot traffic. A stroll around Lenox Square or Phipps Plaza validates the data: “Coming Soon” signs dot both. There’s a tenant waiting list at these shopping centers as stores, particularly luxury ones, clamor to establish a foothold in Atlanta.
That’s not surprising to Su Longman, a longtime mall patron. The CEO and owner of Pallet Central Enterprises, she has shopped around the world and is proud to say that Atlanta’s offerings rival, if not beat, that of some major fashion cities. “I can find things to my eclectic taste much easier here in Atlanta, which might be contradictory to what non-Atlantans might believe,” she says.
Longman, who has frequented Atlanta malls for 20 years, also loves how the carefully selected stores have changed the demographics of the shoppers, with more variety in the clientele and brands, perhaps driven by the influence of the entertainment industry and the diversity of people moving here. “Atlanta is truly becoming the Beverly Hills of the South, and the designer shops coming in definitely attest to that,” she says.
Brands have felt the pull of the malls, too, with several opting back in to the shopping centers as home bases. Brunello Cucinelli, Akris, Christian Louboutin, Etro, Jimmy Choo, and Hermès have all returned to Phipps. Alo Yoga has already moved to Lenox Square, and Moncler will complete its migration there by the end of 2024. Here, a selection of stores to keep an eye on.
Balmain Photograph by James Cool
The second half of 2023 saw the arrival of Parisian fashion house Balmain at Phipps Plaza, only the eighth flagship store in the country for the brand, joining others in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles. Men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, handbags, and popular sneakers designed under the tutelage of creative director Olivier Rousteing are on display in the store’s minimalist interior.
Fendi
Several retailers, such as Tory Burch and Tiffany, already have a presence at both malls, doubling down on exposure and catering to their popularity. Fendi joins this elite list, complementing its Lenox outpost with a store in the former Tavern at Phipps space. Over 3,500 square feet showcase the brand’s signature men’s and women’s ready-to-wear collections, accessories, shoes, and leather goods. A private client showroom and exotic leather goods section are decked out in Pakistan green onyx marble floors, adding to the sumptuousness of the store.
The Webster
Atlantans have missed Jeffrey at the malls, but that hole might be filled in late 2024 when The Webster comes to Lenox Square, the 10th location for the fashion powerhouse. The boutique, founded in Miami in 2009, is known for its more experimental brands, such as Alexandre Vauthier, Marine Serre, Paco Rabanne, Rhude, and The Attico. The Webster’s color- and print-heavy private-label brand, LHD, designed by CEO and founder Laure Hériard Dubreuil, is exclusive to its boutiques. In addition to clothing, shoppers can expect expertly sourced fine jewelry, plus home and beauty products.
Zegna
Perhaps one of the most striking spaces is Zegna’s new location on the ground floor of One Phipps Plaza, the LEED-certified office building adjacent to the mall. Facing the reimagined green space across from Citizens Market, the store reflects the brand’s sophisticated look with a modern twist. Fans will also be able to partake in its bespoke experience, with a master tailor on-site to hand-construct anything from suits to leather goods.
This article appears in our May 2024 issue.
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