FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina (Reuters) – Donald Trump campaigned in North Carolina on Friday for the fourth time in a month, as the Republican presidential nominee tries to shore up support in a state he was comfortably leading just a few months ago months, but now it is among the most competitive in the race.
The former president’s visit to Fayetteville, home to a large military community, comes as the state is rocked by literal and political storms.
Unprecedented flooding from Hurricane Helene has killed dozens of people in the state’s western mountains, while the Republican gubernatorial candidate has faced damaging reports about past inflammatory and lewd comments.
Trump drew cheers from the raucous crowd of thousands packed into a coliseum when he said that, if elected, he would seek to change the name of the state’s sprawling military base, Fort Liberty, back to Fort Bragg. The name, which was changed last year, previously honored a Confederate general in the US Civil War.
Trump rejected comments from US President Joe Biden, who warned this week that Israel should not attack Iran’s nuclear facilities.
“Isn’t that what you’re supposed to be hitting?” Trump said. “When he was asked that question, the answer should have been to hit the nukes first and worry about the rest later.”
Some Trump allies privately say the North Carolina race, which Trump won in both the 2016 and 2020 elections, is too close for comfort, even if they believe he still has a small lead over Democratic challenger Kamala Harris ahead of the Nov. 5 election. Hurricane Helene has heightened those concerns amid fears from some Trump advisers and donors, who privately worry that the storm could depress turnout in the state’s conservative mountain regions.
By some metrics, the vice president is doing marginally better here than she is in Arizona and Georgia, two states that Trump lost in 2020. Those three states are among a handful of battleground states where both candidates have legitimate chances of winning next month and will play a crucial role in determining the winner of the election.
“I’m freaking out about North Carolina,” said one major Trump donor, who was granted anonymity to give his candid assessment of the race. “Georgia and Arizona are not in the pocket, but they are headed in the right direction.”
Trump leads Harris by 0.5 percentage points in North Carolina, according to an average of polls kept by polling and analysis website FiveThirtyEight. The former president leads Harris by 1.1 points in Georgia and by 1.2 points in Arizona. All of these percentages are within the margin of error of major polls, meaning either candidate could walk away with a win.
En route to North Carolina, Trump stopped in Evans, Georgia for a briefing at a hurricane response center with the state’s Republican governor, Brian Kemp.
The two men recently struck a truce after Trump publicly criticized Kemp for not backing up the false allegations of voter fraud he used in 2020 to try to overturn his loss in Georgia.
“I’m not thinking about voters right now, I’m thinking about lives,” Trump told reporters.
HITTING THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN HARD
Trump was leading Biden by several percentage points in North Carolina before the Democratic president dropped his re-election bid in July and handed the baton to Harris, who has steadily closed the gap on Trump.
While Trump’s ad spending in the state has been relatively modest compared to most other states, Trump has hit hard on the campaign trail. His four campaign events in North Carolina, including stops in Wilmington and Midhill, in the past month are more than in any other state except Wisconsin and Michigan, according to a Reuters count.
The Trump campaign referred a request for comment to the North Carolina Republican Party. Matt Mercer ( NASDAQ:MERC ), the party’s communications director, said Trump’s campaign is proceeding as planned in the southern state.
“North Carolina is close and has been for several cycles,” Mercer said. “However, President Trump has won the state twice, and we’re confident we can do it a third time.”
Harris has also made frequent trips to North Carolina and is expected there again on Saturday.
Dori McMillan, her campaign communications manager, said Harris is “gaining ground as voters continue to learn more about Vice President Harris’ vision for a new way forward where our freedoms are protected and everyone has an opportunity not just to get by, but to move forward.”
Among the potential adversaries Trump faces is the state’s Republican gubernatorial nominee, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, a Trump ally.
In September, CNN reported that Robinson, a black man, had called himself a “black Nazi,” supported the reinstatement of slavery and said he enjoyed transgender pornography in an online chatroom. Robinson denied making those comments.
Analysts say it is unclear whether the Robinson scandal will reduce Republican turnout on Election Day, potentially hurting Trump. But it certainly won’t help.
“It hasn’t necessarily changed the minds of the voters, but where I would be concerned is that you want everyone to be rowing in the same direction,” said Doug Heye, a veteran Republican strategist and North Carolina native, who noted that the turmoil around Robinson’s campaign is hindering his ability to get voters to the polls.
Privately, two Trump donors and a Trump adviser added that the impact of the hurricane was a concern. The state’s worst-hit areas are also among its most Republican.
“If you don’t have a home, do you really care about the presidential election?” the consultant said, summing up the concerns.
At Bro In Finance, we are committed to helping traders navigate the complexities of the forex market. Our in-depth analysis, expert insights, and advanced tools empower you to make informed decisions and achieve your trading goals. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced trader, Bro In Finance is your trusted partner in mastering the forex market. Visit our website for more trading tips and strategies to enhance your trading experience.
Check out our on Best Forex Brokers to know more about this topic
Check out the most crucial steps that you need to take when choosing your forex broker
Have you heard about an amazing Broker Platform called “AVATRADE“? We at Bro In Finance do recommend this amazing broker.
Check out here to figure out the best funded trader program: Which Funded Challenge is Best
Reference;
Reuters (2024) Donald Trump tries to blunt Democrats’ momentum in North Carolina By Reuters, Investing.com. Investing.com. Available at: https://www.investing.com/news/world-news/donald-trump-tries-to-blunt-democrats-momentum-in-north-carolina-3648877 (Accessed: 5 October 2024).
