Protesters Gather Outside Trump-Karen Handel Fundraiser

ATLANTA, GA -- President Donald Trump was met with protesters Friday outside a fundraiser for local Republican politician Karen Handel. The demonstrators were held across the street from the fundraiser, but still within earshot of prominent local politicians and Trump's presidential entourage.

The demonstration came right after Trump addressed 40,000 people at the National Rifle Association annual convention in downtown Atlanta. Seconds into his speech, Trump addressed the Georgia's 6th District House of Representatives race, which pits first-time candidate and Democrat Jon Ossoff against Handel, who is a former Secretary of State.

Read more: Trump raises $750,000 for Karen Handel at Atlanta fundraiser

"I'd like to congratulate Karen Handel for her incredible fight in Georgia 6," Trump said. He added that Handel was "totally for the NRA, totally for gun rights." He then went on to criticize the fact that Ossoff, a 30-year-old investigative filmmaker, doesn't reside in the 6th District.
He also chided the Georgia Republican Party for having 11 candidates in the April 18 special election running for one 6th District seat. He said "let's not have" that again ... "it's too nerve-shattering."

Read more: See a replay of Trump's speech to the NRA (VIDEO)

During his NRA speech, Trump also used the occasion to champion his plan to build a wall separating the United States from Mexico.

"And by the way, we will build the wall, no mater how low this number gets or how high it gets," he said to rousing applause. "Don't even think about it. They are trying to use this number against us, but we have done so unbelievably at the borders already, but we need the wall to stop the human trafficking, to stop the drugs."

He also said that there has been a 73 percent decrease -- "never happened before" -- in illegal immigration on the southern border since the election.

The runoff election for Georgia's 6th congressional district is slated for June 20. Both the GOP and Republicans are already on pace to shatter records for the most amount of money spent on a House race. The election was called in February after Roswell doctor Tom Price vacated the seat to join the Trump Administration as the nation's health secretary.

Image via Scott Olson / Staff Getty News Images