Former President Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, are set to hold a rally in Georgia, a critical battleground state that has gained renewed significance following the shake-up on the Democratic ticket. The state of Georgia witnessed a significant shift in the political landscape when President Joe Biden stepped aside and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee.

In a recent event held in Atlanta, Harris demonstrated the changing dynamics of the race as she locked up the support of party delegates and announced a staggering fundraising amount of over $200 million in her first week as a candidate. Addressing a crowd of 10,000 supporters at Georgia State University Convocation Center, Harris emphasized the state's importance in her path to the White House.

However, Trump and Vance will be entering the same venue without the same fundraising momentum or improved chances of winning this crucial state. In the 2020 election, Biden became the first Democrat in almost three decades to win Georgia, defeating Trump by a narrow margin of just under 12,000 votes.

Adding to Trump's challenges in Georgia, he was indicted last year by a Georgia grand jury for his efforts to overturn the election results. This included a controversial phone call to Georgia's Republican secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, in which Trump urged him to "find" enough votes to secure his victory.

Until recently, Georgia appeared to be leaning towards Trump, along with other Sun Belt states such as North Carolina, Arizona, and Nevada. Polls indicated Trump's lead and suggested that his campaign's targeted efforts to erode Biden's support among young Black male voters were gaining traction.

However, the Harris campaign has countered by emphasizing her appeal to a broad coalition of Black, Latino, and younger voters, potentially expanding the electoral map beyond the traditional "blue wall" states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. As Democrats rallied around Harris in the past two weeks, the Trump campaign has struggled to define its messaging about her and justify Vance's role on the ticket, facing increased scrutiny.

Republican leaders have cautioned party members to focus their criticisms of Harris on policy rather than race or gender, after some Republican lawmakers resorted to using derogatory terms to describe her as a "DEI hire" (referring to diversity, equity, and inclusion). Trying to adhere to this guidance, the Trump campaign spent over $12 million on ads linking Harris to the current administration's handling of border security, portraying her as "dangerously liberal."

However, in an unexpected turn of events, Trump made false claims about Harris' racial identity during his appearance at the annual convention of the National Association of Black Journalists, implying that she only started identifying as Black to appeal to voters. These remarks have garnered criticism from Republicans, who had previously espoused a message of party unity following the Republican convention.

Despite the backlash, Trump continues to perpetuate conspiracy theories about Harris online and double down on his controversial comments, with his campaign viewing them as a strategic line of attack, branding Harris as a "phony." Vance has also echoed this narrative, criticizing her for adapting her message to suit different audiences.

Vance's selection as Trump's running mate was initially intended to appeal to the MAGA base and provide a youthful counterbalance to Biden's age-related concerns. However, with Biden out of the race and Vance's past controversial comments, including disparaging remarks about individuals without children, resurfacing, the campaign finds itself reintroducing Vance to voters just two weeks after his prime-time convention debut.

As both campaigns move forward, it remains to be seen how their strategies will shape the race in Georgia and impact the broader electoral landscape. With the stakes higher than ever in this key battleground state, Trump and Vance face a challenging battle against Harris as she seeks to expand her support base and redefine the electoral map.