GREENVILLE, N.C. — President Donald Trump flew into eastern North Carolina on Tuesday to fire up Republican voters for U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley and the rest of the GOP ticket, with early voting already underway and two weeks left before the Nov. 3 election.
About 1,000 supporters gathered at Pitt-Greenville Airport for the rally, which was aimed more at turning out dependable Republican voters than at persuading the undecided.
Trump again promised that every American adult would receive $5,000 if Republicans keep control of the U.S. House and Senate, and he warned of an economic depression if Democrats win. Outside analysts have put the cost of such payments at about $1.2 trillion, and the president said his tariffs would cover the bill.
Whatley told the crowd he would work alongside Trump in Washington and pressed for tax cuts and lower health care costs. He blamed his Democratic opponent, former Gov. Roy Cooper, for raising costs, pointing to Cooper’s record during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whatley has trailed Cooper by double digits in recent public polling.
Outside money has shifted in the race. Two Republican political action committees pulled their North Carolina ad buys at the start of October, but a Trump-aligned super PAC, Securing American Greatness, has put $2.2 million behind Whatley over the past week.
Democrats used the day to counter the visit. State Sen. Kandie Smith of Pitt County held a news conference before the rally criticizing Whatley’s positions on the war in Iran and on fuel prices, and she has raised concerns about record diesel costs hurting farmers in her district.
At East Carolina University, the campus College Democrats chose to focus on getting students to the polls instead of protesting the president’s visit.
State turnout figures released Tuesday show registered Democrats have cast nearly 45% of early ballots so far, compared with nearly 21% from registered Republicans.
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Filed under: Raleigh NC Politics News
