Trump Rallies in North Carolina for Senate Nominee Trailing in Polls

President Donald Trump held a nearly two-hour rally in Greenville, North Carolina, as part of a six-day campaign tour of traditionally Republican states to help Republicans retain control of Congress and win governorships. He promoted Senate nominee Michael Whatley, who was trailing Democrat Roy Cooper in polls, and backed other candidates; protesters raised concerns including high gas prices, while Trump focused much of his speech on crime. The tour included House districts he had won by more than 20 points in 2024, as Republicans sought to energize voters in newly vulnerable strongholds, while he avoided some battlegrounds where GOP candidates were distancing themselves from him to appeal to moderates. Tariff- and Iran war-related costs were weighing on Republican prospects, and one poll found voters favored a Democratic-controlled Congress over a Republican one, 58% to 39%, when asked whether they wanted to check Trump or advance his agenda. Trump increasingly framed the election in cultural and religious terms, using rhetoric critics described as racially charged and misleading, and proposed measures intended to mobilize voters; questions remained about whether they would improve GOP prospects. Retiring Republican Senator Thom Tillis warned the party could face a “train wreck” in November.