(NewsNation) — Former President Donald Trump spoke Wednesday in North Carolina about the economy to counter a speech by Vice President Kamala Harris later in the day.
Trump’s so-called “prebuttal” in Mint Hill focused on his 2019 executive order that forced federal agencies to buy products made with more American components. He also revisited how he strengthened the Buy American Act.
“When you hear Kamala Harris attack my tariffs today, you wouldn’t have anything left in this state if I didn’t do what I did,” Trump told voters.
“Just remember, Kamala is not attacking me, she’s attacking your furniture jobs, she’s attacking your community, she’s attacking your factories and she’s trying to send all of those jobs to China with everything else, and we’re not going to let that happen,” the former president said.
Wednesday’s visit to the Tarheel State came as new Gallup polling shows the 2024 election environmental is favorable for the Republican Party.
GOP gubernatorial fallout
However, the North Carolina governor’s race took a turn after a CNN report last Thursday that GOP gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson made many inflammatory comments concerning race, gender and sexual preferences.
Robinson said Tuesday his campaign hired a law firm to help investigate the CNN report, saying the lawyers will look at how what Robinson calls “false smears” originated.
New national polling from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ now shows Robinson’s opponent Democrat Josh Stein leading by nearly 11 points.
The scandal has left Republicans seeking distance from Robinson, and most of his top campaign staffers also quit in the aftermath of the report.
Republican officials are anxious that Robinson’s situation could pull down Trump and help Harris in the battleground state, and threaten the outcomes of other key races on the ballot.
Robinson was endorsed by Trump before the primary and has spoken at the former president’s in-state rallies. But, he was not involved in a Trump rally in Wilmington last weekend and Trump didn’t mention him.
Speaking Monday in Charlotte, Trump running mate Sen. JD Vance said it was up to North Carolina voters to decide what they think of Robinson’s messages and whether they believe Robinson’s defense.
