Speaking at a rally in Mont Hill, North Carolina, former President Donald Trump avoided mentioning embattled GOP gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson, despite the ongoing controversy surrounding him.
Instead of addressing the scandal involving Robinson, who faces allegations of writing racist and sexist posts on internet forums, Trump focused on familiar themes like illegal immigration, jobs, crime, and the economy. The Republican nominee also renewed his attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump’s polling in North Carolina remains tight, with most surveys calling the race a toss-up. A new poll released yesterday shows Harris inching ahead by a single point, while another gives Trump a slight two-point lead.
While Trump refrained from mentioning Robinson, top Republicans are trying to distance the former president from the North Carolina Lieutenant Governor and the controversy over his alleged comments. Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, said on Fox News that Trump was unaware of the remarks attributed to Robinson.
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, in Mint Hill, North Carolina. Inset, North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Asheville, N.C., Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024.
Associated Press
This marks the second time Trump has visited North Carolina without mentioning Robinson, who was once a fixture at his rallies in the state. Trump endorsed Robinson for governor in March, ahead of North Carolina’s primary, even describing him as “Martin Luther King on steroids.”
Shifting his focus Wednesday, Trump emphasized the economy, pledging to protect the manufacturing sector, a significant part of the economies in key Midwestern and Southern swing states. Meanwhile, Harris has been closing the gap on this crucial election issue.
Though Trump has historically led on the economy and immigration, his advantage has been shrinking in recent weeks. His campaign is particularly eager to win back Rust Belt voters, who were instrumental in his 2016 victory.
At recent rallies, Trump has emphasized economic issues, an area where he still holds an edge over Harris. Yesterday in Georgia, his campaign introduced the slogan “Make America Wealthy Again.”
Trump also weighed in on the war in Ukraine, calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “the greatest salesman on Earth” while criticizing the Biden administration for its continued support of Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion.
“Every time he came to our country, he walked away with 60 billion dollars,” Trump remarked, while attacking Biden and Harris and asserting that under his administration, “this would have never happened.”
This is a developing news story and will be updated with more information.
