Republican presidential candidate and former US President Donald Trump reacts during a campaign rally at the North Carolina Aviation Museum and Hall of Fame in Asheboro, North Carolina. | Photo Credit: Reuters
This was his first outdoor rally since last month. Assassination attemptsDonald Trump took to the stage in North Carolina to talk about national security as part of his week-long trip across the country to deflect attention from the Democrats and their national convention.
“76 days from now, we will win this state and we will win the White House,” Trump said from backstage at the North Carolina Aviation Museum & Hall of Fame, which was surrounded by bulletproof glass and had a protective wall across the stage.
Storage containers were placed around the perimeter to create additional walls and block sight lines. Snipers were stationed on rooftops at the venue, where vintage planes were stored behind the podium and a large American flag hung from a crane.
The program, which is said to focus on national security issues, is part of a week-long counter-Trump programming series. Democratic National ConventionAt the campaign rally in Chicago, allies are urging him to focus on policy rather than personal attacks as he struggles to adjust to a runoff against Vice President Kamala Harris after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race.
A programme was performed at the conference on Tuesday night. A double dose of Obama’s firepowerThe former president and former first lady attacked Trump and repeatedly called him out by name.
Security force members stand guard on the day of a campaign rally held by former US President Donald Trump at Asheboro Regional Airport in Asheboro, North Carolina. | Photo Credit: Reuters
Michelle Obama said of Trump in a rousing speech, “Because of his limited and parochial view of the world, he feels threatened by the existence of two hard-working, highly educated, successful people who happen to be Black.”
They also cited comments he made in a debate in June, in which he asked: “Who’s going to tell him that the job he’s looking for might be one of those ‘blacks’?”
Barack Obama mocked Trump’s obsession with crowd size and called Trump “a 78-year-old billionaire who hasn’t stopped whining about his problems since he stepped off his golden escalator nine years ago.”
“It’s been a constant cycle of complaints and grievances that have gotten worse now because they’re afraid of losing to Kamala,” the former president said.
Trump was joined on Wednesday by his running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, who described Harris as a candidate chosen by power brokers rather than voters and criticized Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, his vice presidential running mate, before Trump took the stage.
This included persistent pressure on Walz to admit he had misrepresented his service record as a member of the Army National Guard, and that Walz had retired from the service before his unit deployed to Iraq.
“What about stolen valor will Tim Walz not lie about?” Vance, who served as a Marine for four years, asked the crowd.
Trump visited battleground states in the busiest week of his campaign since the Republican primary.
The trip is Trump’s second visit to the state in the past week, reflecting North Carolina’s importance in this year’s election. Last Wednesday, he came to Asheville, North Carolina, to deliver a speech on the economy.
Trump won North Carolina by a comfortable margin in 2016. The state gave the former president his closest statewide win four years ago and is once again considered a key battleground in 2024.
Before Trump arrived, his plane flew over the rally site. The crowd cheered.
Edna Ryan, a 68-year-old retired flight attendant and private pilot, said she was optimistic about Republicans’ chances, but added: “We need to be strong, or we’ll have a lot of regrets.”
Lisa Watts, a retired businesswoman from Hickory, North Carolina, who was attending her fifth Trump rally, said she felt “very positive” about the race against Harris.
“A month ago she wasn’t even mentioned by name and now she’s like ‘the savior of the country,’” Watts said. “I don’t think her record shows she’s ready to run this country.”
Watts said he doesn’t think Trump’s chances of winning are much different now than they were when Biden was the Democratic nominee.
“I think the Democrats will do everything they can to keep her in that position,” he said, predicting that the hype around Harris will fizzle out.