Trump Praises Democrat Colom Who Won Mississippi Senate Race
Trump lauded Democrat Scott Colom for courting his supporters at a Corinth rally after Colom was projected to win the Mississippi Senate seat.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Elections
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Trump praised Democrat Scott Colom on Stephen A. Smith's "Straight Shooter" podcast after Colom walked the line of Trump supporters waiting to enter a Corinth, Mississippi rally. The Associated Press called the Senate race for Colom, who defeated incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith.
Why it matters
Colom will become Mississippi's first Black U.S. senator since Reconstruction, a result that followed days of local officials processing absentee and provisional ballots before the race was called. The episode also highlights how a Democrat campaigned directly among Trump supporters in a Republican-leaning state.
The Associated Press called the Mississippi Senate race for Scott Colom on Wednesday, 2026-11-11, after several days of processing absentee and provisional ballots. The extraction does not include vote tallies or the margin of victory.
The players
Scott Colom
Scott Colom is a Democratic politician and local prosecutor in Mississippi who won the U.S. Senate race and will become the state's first Black senator since Reconstruction.
Donald Trump
Donald Trump is the current President of the United States, who rallied in Corinth, Mississippi, and praised Colom on a podcast.
Cindy Hyde-Smith
Cindy Hyde-Smith is a Republican U.S. senator from Mississippi who was the incumbent defeated by Colom in the race.
The details
Colom, a 43-year-old local prosecutor, walked along the lineup of Trump supporters waiting to enter the Corinth rally and introduced himself and asked about their concerns. Trump had called Colom a "Marxist radical" and a "fake" while campaigning for Cindy Hyde-Smith in Corinth last month, and Colom criticized Trump's Iran war and tariffs.
Timeline
Last month: Trump rallied in Corinth, Mississippi, for Cindy Hyde-Smith.
Final days of the midterm campaign: Colom courted Trump supporters at the Corinth rally line.
Wednesday, 2026-11-11: The Associated Press called the Mississippi Senate race for Colom.
Thursday, 2026-11-12: Trump praised Colom on Stephen A. Smith's podcast.
Political Context
Colom's victory places Mississippi's Senate representation in direct line with the Reconstruction era, when Black senators last represented the state. Trump's criticism of Colom during the campaign and his later praise reflects the partisan pushback Democrats faced in the race.
The result changes who represents Mississippi in the U.S. Senate, shifting the state's seat from Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith to Democrat Scott Colom. Voters across the state are seeing a Senate race decided after several days of counting absentee and provisional ballots.
The takeaway
Colom's win shows that a Democrat can campaign directly among Trump supporters in Mississippi and still win a statewide race. Voters who want to follow the outcome should watch for official certification of the results.
Further reading
Explore more Mississippi election coverage to see how this race fits into the state's broader political landscape.
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