President Donald Trump urged Republican voters in Greenville, North Carolina, to treat the midterm elections as if he were on the ballot. Republicans are trying to hold the state’s Senate seat, while Democrats aim to retake control of Congress. The rally took place Tuesday, after early voting began in North Carolina the previous week.
The state’s Senate seat will open as Republican Sen. Thom Tillis retires. Republican candidate Michael Whatley, a former Republican National Committee chair, trailed Democratic nominee Roy Cooper, the state’s former governor, in recent polls. A Democrat hasn’t won a U.S. Senate seat in North Carolina since Kay Hagan in 2008.
The North Carolina Contest
Trump’s appearance was part of a broader effort to turn out Republican voters ahead of the midterm elections. PBS described the event as the latest stop in what it called Trump’s Republican midterm rescue mission. The rally brought the president to a state where Republicans are defending a Senate seat and recent polls showed Whatley behind Cooper.
Vice President JD Vance traveled to North Carolina the previous day to campaign for Republican candidates. Trump followed with another campaign appearance for the party in the state. The source article didn’t provide polling figures or details about the methods used in the recent polls.
The Senate contest is one part of the wider election picture. Democrats were seeking to retake control of Congress, while Republicans worked to turn out their voters. Trump asked rallygoers to approach the elections as though his own name were on the ballot, linking his appearance to the party’s effort to mobilize voters.
A Wider Campaign Schedule
Trump held a rally in Kansas the previous night for Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, who was in a tight race with Democrat Adam Hamilton. NBC reported that Trump planned to travel over the following several days to South Carolina, Iowa, Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Texas.
Iowa, Georgia, Michigan and Texas had notable battleground Senate races, according to the report. The planned itinerary carried the campaign effort beyond North Carolina and Kansas, with stops in states that included several Senate battlegrounds. The article didn’t give details about events planned in each state or identify additional candidates who would appear with Trump.
Interruptions at the Rally
Protesters interrupted Trump during the Greenville rally, and two people were escorted out. Trump alleged the protesters had been “paid” and insulted one of them, calling the person “fat.” The article didn’t identify the protesters or say who escorted them out.
The event combined campaign appeals, a contested Senate race and interruptions from protesters. The available account centers on the candidates, the effort to mobilize Republican voters and Trump’s planned travel schedule. It gives no figures on rally attendance and no further details about the protesters’ actions or the basis for Trump’s allegation.
- donald trump
- north carolina
- midterm elections
- greenville
- roy cooper
- michael whatley
- republican rally
- protests