U.S. President
Donald Trump struck a defiant note on Wednesday at a rally in Louisiana a day after
Democrats clinched victories in a raft of local
elections that cast a shadow over his 2020 re-election hopes. Speaking at a packed arena in the city of Monroe, Trump doubled down on his assertion that a House-led impeachment inquiry into his presidency was a hoax and sought to buoy support for
Republican businessman Eddie Rispone's bid for the governorship. The remarks came after Democrats claimed an upset win on Tuesday in Kentucky over Republican Governor Matt Bevin after Trump campaigned for him, telling voters that pundits would say the president "suffered the greatest defeat in the history of the world" if he lost.