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‘Pretend I’m on the ticket’: Trump hits campaign trail in bid to boost Republican hopes
The Guardian • • general
Key Points:
- Donald Trump campaigned in North Carolina urging voters to "pretend I’m on the ticket" to support Republican Senate nominee Michael Whatley and defeat Democrats in the November midterms.
- Trump falsely accused Democratic Governor Roy Cooper of releasing a convicted killer, using the incident to paint Cooper as weak on crime in a racially charged appeal reminiscent of the 1988 "Willie Horton" ad.
- The North Carolina Senate race is critical, with retiring Republican Senator Thom Tillis’s seat seen as a key battleground that could influence Senate control; polls show Cooper leading Whatley despite the state's Republican lean.
- Whatley embraced Trump’s endorsement, calling him the "greatest president of our lifetime," while Democrats criticized Whatley for backing Trump’s policies amid economic concerns and the ongoing war in Iran.
- Trump also criticized the Federal Reserve’s recent interest rate hike, labeling the central bank as "hostile" and accusing it of making policy mistakes that could hurt the economy.
