Former U.S. President and Republican candidate Donald Trump returned to North Carolina on Saturday (September 21) to address female voters at a campaign rally, where he urged women that he would better defend women’s rights than Vice President Kamala Harris.
After surviving a second assassination attempt, Trump made a promise at his first outdoor rally that during his presidency, women would become safer and more prosperous, and “no longer need to consider abortion issues.”
“I will protect women in unprecedented ways. They will become healthier, full of hope, secure, and protected. Their lives will be happy and beautiful again. Ladies, we love you. We will take care of you.”
The former president stated that women no longer needed to worry about abortion issues. Following the Supreme Court’s overturning of the Roe v. Wade case in June 2022, the decision-making power on abortion regulations had been delegated to the states.
During the campaign rally in Wilmington, North Carolina, Trump also informed supporters that he would not participate in a second television debate with Kamala Harris before the November presidential election, citing that “it’s too late” as some states had already begun early voting.
Trump also showed his compassionate side during the rally by inviting his two young grandchildren on stage. Amidst enthusiastic cheers, Trump lifted his granddaughter Carolina Trump, who declared, “Make America great again,” into the microphone. Following her, his grandson Luke Trump said, “Please vote for my grandpa.”
They are the children of Trump’s second son Eric Trump and his wife Lara Trump. Lara Trump, a native of North Carolina, currently serves as co-chair of the Republican National Committee.
Bulletproof glass was installed around the podium during Trump’s speech, a new security measure taken by the Secret Service for Trump’s outdoor campaign events. Previously, Trump was shot at during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, sustaining a grazing injury to his ear from a bullet.
Since 1976, with the exception of Barack Obama winning the state in 2008, North Carolina has been won by Republicans in every election. Trump had won the state in the two previous elections, but in 2020, he narrowly defeated Joe Biden by less than 1.5%, the smallest margin of victory in all states won by Trump. This is why Democrats believe they can win the state this fall.
North Carolina is considered a crucial battleground in this year’s election. While presidential candidates frequently visit the rust belt battlegrounds of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, the repeated visits by both Kamala Harris and Trump to North Carolina highlight the state’s importance. Trump held his first large rally here after Biden dropped out of the race in July.
With no Senate seats up for grabs, the governor’s race is the main event in North Carolina this year. Republican gubernatorial candidate and Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson, supported by Trump, has often appeared at Trump’s campaign events, most recently joining Trump at an outdoor rally in Asheville last month.
Last Thursday (September 19), Cable News Network (CNN) reported that Robinson was accused of posting racially and sexually discriminatory remarks on a pornographic website over a decade ago, causing a public uproar. Robinson denied writing those posts and stated he would not withdraw from the governor’s race due to the “lies of a tabloid.”
In a statement, Trump remarked that he is “focused on winning the White House and saving this country,” noting that North Carolina is “an important part of that plan,” without mentioning Robinson. Robinson did not make an appearance at Trump’s campaign rally on Saturday.
Democrats seized the opportunity to launch a fierce attack, attempting to link Trump with the scandal surrounding the state-level candidate. Kamala Harris’ campaign team displayed photos of Trump with Robinson on billboards, emphasizing their close relationship, and released a new television ad amplifying and criticizing both men’s anti-abortion stance.
Harris’ campaign team informed CNN that the ad is part of a $370 million digital and television advertising plan to run between Labor Day and Election Day. The ad began airing on various TV programs in North Carolina starting on September 20 (Friday).
In North Carolina, where Trump had previously won twice, Democrats are trying to exploit Trump’s “weaknesses” – abortion rights and the Robinson scandal – in order to win the state. Harris’ campaign team stated that this is the first time they have connected Trump to lower-level elections in an ad.
Prior to CNN’s report, Robinson had consistently trailed behind Democratic candidate Josh Stein, the state’s Attorney General, in recent polls. Surveys indicate that in North Carolina, as in the national average, support for Trump and Harris is evenly split.
(Information referenced from the Associated Press)