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Monday, March 18, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Trump Assails Biden at Election Eve Rally in North Carolina

On the eve of Election Day, President Donald Trump attacked his Democratic rival as unqualified and urged voters in the crucial battleground state of North Carolina to cast their ballots for him.

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (CN) — On the eve of Election Day, President Donald Trump attacked his Democratic rival as unqualified and urged voters in the crucial battleground state of North Carolina to cast their ballots for him.

An audio montage of former Vice President Joe Biden misspeaking during speeches echoed across the Fayetteville Regional Airport on Monday as Trump grinned in front of the large crowd gathered at his last “Make America Great Again Victory Rally” in the Tar Heel State before the election. 

This latest effort by the Trump campaign to depict Biden as “not equipped” to be president was accompanied by a litany of warnings about the Democratic nominee.

Among other accusations spouted off by the president on Monday, Trump claimed without proof that Biden “is bought and paid for by China.” He doubled down on the theory popular among Trump allies that Biden’s son, Hunter, used his father’s influence to enrich himself through business ventures in Ukraine and China. There is no evidence, however, that the former vice president benefited from or facilitated his son’s foreign dealings.

Also without evidence, Trump accused Big Tech companies of trying to “fix the election” by manipulating trending topics that appear on social media sites like Twitter, the president’s preferred platform.

Despite claiming that this election cycle has not been fair to him, Trump assured the crowd that the Trump-Pence ticket will win, citing his 2016 victory over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

“In 2016, North Carolina voted to fire this corrupt political establishment," Trump said. "If I don't sound like a typical Washington politician, it's because I'm not a politician. If I don't always play by the rules of the Washington establishment, it's because I was elected to fight for you and I fight harder than any other president has ever fought for his people."

Trump won North Carolina by 4 percentage points, 50% to 46%, in the last presidential election. Polls show a tight race in the battleground state this time around, with most of them giving Biden a narrow lead

Bill Derugen, who has lived in North Carolina since 1989, brought his own salvaged fire truck to participate in a 200-plus vehicle, pro-Trump caravan in Union County on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020. (Courthouse News photo/Erika Williams)

But Trump urged supporters at the Fayetteville rally Monday not to pay attention to the polls. He complained about a recent ABC News/Washington Post poll that shows Biden leading the state by a slim 49%-48% margin, but also went after the friendly conservative outlet Fox News.

“Every time I have a Fox poll it's horrible,” Trump said, but he went on to praise Fox stars who have been loyal to him, including Tucker Carlson.

More than 4.5 million North Carolina voters have already cast their ballots during the early voting period, which ended Saturday.

Vying for votes in the critically important state, Trump spent time campaigning in Hickory, North Carolina, on Sunday while Vice President Mike Pence spoke to voters in Elm City and Elizabeth City.

Meanwhile, his supporters flooded roadways throughout the state over the weekend in caravans of large trucks, motorcycles and other vehicles sporting various pro-Trump flags. 

Bill Derugen, who has lived in North Carolina since 1989, brought his own salvaged fire truck to participate in a 200-plus vehicle, pro-Trump caravan in Union County on Sunday. 

The appliance repairman and U.S. Army veteran told Courthouse News that he is waiting until Tuesday to cast his ballot for Trump.

“My vote will be counted because I’m going in person to the polls,” Derugen said. 

“I think the ballots should be there on Nov. 3,” he added, expressing discontent over a U.S. Supreme Court decision last week that allows elections officials in North Carolina to count ballots received up to nine days after the election as long as they are postmarked by Election Day.

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Categories / Government, National, Politics

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