Candidates plan blitz on North Carolina in final stretch to presidential election

With early voting kicking off on Thursday, Donald Trump's running mate Ohio senator JD Vance was in North Carolina to speak to crowds at a rally event in Wilmington.

There was a lot of energy in the crowd at the Aero Center as Vance took the stage where he drove home many familiar campaign talking points.

"You don't have to agree with everything Donald Trump says, but who can dispute that when he was the president of the United States, we had rising take home pay, we had low inflation, we had a secure southern border, let's get back to it," he said.

During the event, Senator Vance threw some support behind Mark Robinson- commending him for his response to Hurricane Helene. But when asked whether or not he'd endorse Robinson, he dodged the question, focusing instead on the Trump-Vance ticket.

"Look my view on this issue is that who the North Carolina voters make their next governor is up to the people of North Carolina," said Vance. "What I'm here to do is to persuade them that they need to make Donald Trump their next president and I think that's what they're going to do, And we're going to keep on fight for that every single day."

Vance spent a lot of time going after the Harris-Walz campaign - and touched on the devastation in western North Carolina.

"A lot of folks were hit very hard by hurricane Helene and I know that a lot of us are praying people, we ought to say a prayer for those folks, every single day they're fighting to rebuild their lives, their fighting to grieve loved ones, and rebuild out of a terrible, terrible situation," he said.

But the main thing the senator said he hopes people took away from his event - is that he believes Donald Trump will win North Carolina again - and that everyone needs to head to the polls as early voting starts tomorrow.

Thursday is the first day of early voting in North Carolina, and the Kamala Harris campaign will be in the state.

The vice president's running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, will be in Durham on Thursday. He'll be joined by a Democratic Party heavy hitter, former President Bill Clinton. The two will encourage early voting and touting the Harris/Walz ticket.

Walz will hold a rally in Winston-Salem later in the evening.

This trip marks Walz's third visit to North Carolina since becoming Harris' running mate. Most recently, he held a campaign rally in Asheville.

Walz is expected to arrive at Raleigh-Durham International Airport about 2 p.m. and participate in a political discussion in Durham at 2:30 p.m.

Clinton will join Walz about 3 p.m.

Walz is expected to deliver remarks at a campaign rally in Winston-Salem about 6:30 p.m. before flying back to Minnesota.

Tulsi Gabbard and Donald Trump Jr. will deliver remarks at a campaign event in Robeson County on Friday.

The event will be at 6 p.m. at Locklear Farm, 6772 Preston Road in Red Springs.

Doors open at 5 p.m.

Gabbard, a former US House representative, and former President Donald Trump's son will also be joined by Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin.

Those who wish to attend can get tickets here.

Former President Donald Trump's campaign team is launching the Team Trump Bus Tour in North Carolina beginning Wednesday,

The tour will travel across the state for three days before ending at the Wayne County Republican Party Headquarters on Friday, People who want to go to a stop can reserve general admission tickets here.

Events and Locations

Wednesday, October 16, 2024
Stop 1: Burlington - Alamance County Republican Party HQ
Kash Patel, Fmr. Chief of Staff of the US Department of Defense and Brooke Rollins, President & CEO of America First Policy Institute
10 a.m. - 2643 Ramada Rd., Burlington, NC 27215

Stop 2: Winston-Salem - Forsyth County GOP HQ/Trump Force 47 Office
Kash Patel, Fmr. Chief of Staff of the US Department of Defense and Brooke Rollins, President & CEO of America First Policy Institute
12:30 p.m. - 300 Jonestown Rd., Suite 10, Winston-Salem, NC 27104

Stop 3: Mooresville - Mooresville GOP HQ
Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS), Kash Patel, Fmr. Chief of Staff of the US Department of Defense, and Brooke Rollins, President & CEO of America First Policy Institute
3 p.m. - 149 Rolling Hill Rd., Mooresville, NC 28117

Thursday, October 17, 2024
Stop 1: Rutherford - Rutherford County Annex Building - Early Voting Site
Gov. Kristi Noem (SD), Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS), Michael Whatley, RNC Chairman, Corey Lewandowski, Senior Advisor to Donald J. Trump for President, Chad Wolf, Fmr. Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, Matt Whitaker, Fmr. Acting US Attorney General, and Tudor Dixon, Businesswoman & Fmr. Michigan Gubernatorial Candidate
Noon - 289 N. Main St., Rutherfordton, NC 28139

Stop 2: Gastonia - Gaston County Board of Elections - Early Voting Site
Gov. Kristi Noem (SD), Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS), Michael Whatley, RNC Chairman, Corey Lewandowski, Senior Advisor to Donald J. Trump for President, Chad Wolf, Fmr. Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, Matt Whitaker, Fmr. Acting US Attorney General, and Tudor Dixon, Businesswoman & Fmr. Michigan Gubernatorial Candidate
1:45 p.m. - 410 W. Franklin Blvd., Gastonia, NC 28052

Stop 3: Archdale - Archdale Community Services Center - Early Voting Site
Gov. Kristi Noem (SD), Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS), Michael Whatley, RNC Chairman, Corey Lewandowski, Senior Advisor to Donald J. Trump for President, Chad Wolf, Fmr. Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, Matt Whitaker, Fmr. Acting US Attorney General, and Tudor Dixon, Businesswoman & Fmr. Michigan Gubernatorial Candidate
3:45 p.m. - 213 Balfour Dr., Archdale, NC 27263

Stop 4: Raleigh - Wake County Speedway
Gov. Kristi Noem (SD), Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS), Michael Whatley, RNC Chairman, Corey Lewandowski, Senior Advisor to Donald J. Trump for President, Chad Wolf, Fmr. Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, Matt Whitaker, Fmr. Acting US Attorney General, and Tudor Dixon, Businesswoman & Fmr. Michigan Gubernatorial Candidate
6 p.m. - 2109 Simpkins Rd, Raleigh, NC 27603

Friday, October 18, 2024
Stop 1: Jacksonville - Vital Signs
Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS), Rep. Dan Bishop (NC-08) & Candidate for Attorney General, State Sen. Michael Lazzara (NC-SD6), Pam Bondi, Fmr. Attorney General of Florida, Peter Navarro, Fmr. Assistant to the President & Director of Trade & Manufacturing, Chad Wolf, Fmr. Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, Matt Whitaker, Fmr. Acting US Attorney General, and Tudor Dixon, Businesswoman & Fmr. Michigan Gubernatorial Candidate
10 a.m. - 425 Marine Blvd., Jacksonville, NC 28540

Stop 2: Winterville - Pitt County Trump Force 47 Office
Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS), Rep. Dan Bishop (NC-08) & Candidate for Attorney General, Pam Bondi, Fmr. Attorney General of Florida, Peter Navarro, Fmr. Assistant to the President & Director of Trade & Manufacturing, Chad Wolf, Fmr. Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, Matt Whitaker, Fmr. Acting US Attorney General, and Tudor Dixon, Businesswoman & Fmr. Michigan Gubernatorial Candidate
1 p.m. - 4051 S. Memorial Dr., Suite D, Winterville, NC 28590

Stop 3: Goldsboro - Wayne County Republican Party HQ
Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS), Rep. Dan Bishop (NC-08) & Candidate for Attorney General, Pam Bondi, Fmr. Attorney General of Florida, Peter Navarro, Fmr. Assistant to the President & Director of Trade & Manufacturing, Chad Wolf, Fmr. Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, Matt Whitaker, Fmr. Acting US Attorney General, Tudor Dixon, Businesswoman & Fmr. Michigan Gubernatorial, and Ret. Col. Laurie Buckhout, Candidate for House (NC-01)
3:30 p.m. - 147 S. Center St., Goldsboro, NC 27530