Area students meet with President Trump

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – President Donald Trump’s Tupelo rally brought 9,500 people to the Bancorpsouth Arena, and while most people saw the President from the arena seats, some had a one on one meeting with the Commander In Chief.

A group of seventh-grade students from New Hope Middle School met President Trump. Student Lariyon Beckwith made a video, asking for tickets to the rally. That video made its way to the President, who invited the students backstage for the meeting.

The students, and their teacher Liza Miley, were also able to meet with Governor Phil Bryant and Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith. The seventh graders talked with President Trump and had their picture made with him.

“How did it go when you got to meet the President?”
“Good, I was happy. He asked what we were learning and stuff like that,” said Beckwith.

“President Trump, everywhere he goes does little things to connect with the American people, to reach out, to kids for instance, so when he was in Louisiana about two weeks ago, he brought the whole Little League, who won the Little League World Series with him to the rally so he’s just a guy who loves his country, loves people, great Dad, father husband, so being here with these kids doesn’t surprise me,” said National Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany.

President Trump also met with MSU homecoming king Spencer Kirpatrick. The President autographed a hat for Spencer and gave Spencer a presidential pen. President Trump also greeted Roy Hodges. The Ripley resident served as a World War II B-24 bomber gunner. Mr. Hodges turns 95 this week. All of the special meet and greets happened moments before the rally.