Trump to visit Mills River, NC: What you need to know – Citizen Times

President Donald Trump visited North Carolina Monday to tout the rapid progression of possible vaccines to treat coronavirus. (July 27) AP Domestic

President Donald Trump will come toMills River on Aug. 24, visiting the Flavor 1st Growers and Packers, at least his fourth visit to the Asheville region.

Here are some key facts to know about the president's visit:

Trump will visit a Farmers to Families Food Box program funded through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, according to a White House statement. He'lltour Flavor 1st, which partners with Baptists on Mission to build the Farmers to Families Food Boxes. The tour will show how the boxes are packaged and placed into refrigerated trucks and then delivered to families in need. Following the tour, he will deliver remarks outside.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture sponsors the program, and USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue will accompany the president, as will the president's daughter,Ivanka. The Farmers to Families Food Box Program is intended to aid American farmers, ranchers, and distributors and support food banks and food insecure families.

Background: Here's why Trump is visiting a Mills River farmer-owned produce facility

President Donald Trump will come toMills River on Aug. 24, visiting the Flavor 1st Growers and Packers, at least his fourth visit to the Asheville region.(Photo: Angela Wilhelm/awilhelm@citizentimes.com)

The White House has not promoted any sort of ticketed event or access to watch POTUS disembark from Air Force One or Marine One when he lands at AVL, butthe airport hasareas on the east side of the property where onlookers have gathered forpast events.

The tour of Flavor 1st is not open to the public.

Trump is flying into Charlotte and will take a presidential helicopter, Marine One, to Asheville Regional Airport, arriving at 2:20 p.m. A motorcade will proceed to Flavor 1st from there.

On previous presidential visits, including one by Barack Obama, people gathered in the Southridge Shopping Center parking lot, near the Lowe's store, as it affords a view of the airport.

President Donald Trump will come toMills River on Aug. 24, visiting the Flavor 1st Growers and Packers on Banner Farm Road.(Photo: Angela Wilhelm/awilhelm@citizentimes.com)

Sofar, only the White House has announced plans for Trump's visit, which means only official business of the president's office is planned to take place.

Campaign events are organized separately, as the law prohibits most government officials from politicking during their official work. While the law does not apply to the president or vice president, there are federal election laws and measures prohibiting using taxpayer dollars for electioneering.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a Sept. 12, 2016 rally at the U.S. Cellular Center in Asheville. Trump would defeat Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton to win the presidency.(Photo: Citizen Times file photo)

While this visit technically is not a campaign visit, whenever the president travels and makes public appearances, it generates tremendous media and public interest. So the ramifications can be political.

North Carolina is a "swing state." That means itsometimes goes for the Democratic nominee, as in 2008 when the Tar Heel state went for Barack Obama, and sometimes it goes for the Republican candidate, as it did in 2012 and 2016, with Mitt Romney and Donald Trump, respectively.

North Carolina, and its 15 Electoral College votes, are inplay this year, too.

Modern presidential candidates essentially have unlimited money to spend, says Western Carolina University political scientist Chris Cooper.

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"Their most valuable commodity they have istime, and (Trump) is going to choose to spend it in swing states where he thinks it's going to make a difference," Cooper said.

Mills River is also a good choice for Trump as it's rural, and Trump does well with rural voters, and it keeps him out of downtown Asheville, which is much more liberal and likely to host more protesters.

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"With Mills River, it's close to the airport, so it's got some obvious logistics advantages," Cooper said. "And this is not downtown Asheville. It's not Lexington Avenue. He doesn't have to pass three hookah shops to get there."

Mills River, with a population of about 7,500, is an incorporated locality that's been growing in recent years, but it remains a largely rural community.

"Itll play as well as any stop could in Western North Carolina," Cooper said. "The only way (Trump) could get any redder (territory) is is he goes farther west."

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Trump to visit Mills River, NC: What you need to know - Citizen Times

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