Trump and Harris Each Host Rallies in North Carolina at the Same Time

ROCKY MOUNT, N.C.—A day after President Joe Biden appeared to refer to former President Donald Trump’s supporters as ‘garbage,’ Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris urged Americans to ‘stop pointing fingers at each other’ during a campaign stop in Raleigh, North Carolina on Oct. 30.

On the same day, Trump held a rally in Rocky Mount, located around 54 miles east of the state’s capital city.

He described his supporters as the ‘heart and soul’ of the country and highlighted that ‘this election is a choice between whether we will have four more years of gross incompetence and failure, or whether we’ll begin the greatest four years in the history of our country.’

Introducing Harris in Raleigh was a former Republican voter who previously supported Trump, as Harris sought to appeal to conservatives hesitant to back the former president.

‘We know we have an opportunity in this election to turn the page on a decade of Donald Trump, who has been trying to keep us divided and afraid of each other,’ Harris stated.

Harris emphasized that she will ‘represent all Americans, including those who don’t vote for me,’ and pointed out that ‘the vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us.’

Related Stories

Harris stated that Trump is driven by revenge and personal interests, while she will prioritize the country over party.

‘If he is elected, on day one Donald Trump will walk in with an enemy’s list,’ Harris warned. ‘When I am elected, I will walk in with a to-do list, full of priorities I will get done for you, the American people.’

In Raleigh, Harris did not reference Biden’s remarks during an Oct. 29 campaign call organized by Hispanic advocacy group Voto Latino.

Responding to Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden, where a comedian referred to Puerto Rico as a ‘floating island of garbage,’ Biden remarked that ‘the only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters.’

‘His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American. It’s totally contrary to everything we’ve done, everything we’ve been,’ Biden added.

During an Oct. 30 press briefing at the White House, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre clarified that Biden was addressing the comedian’s comments specifically, not Trump supporters as a whole.

In Rocky Mount, Trump reminded the audience of when then-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton referred to his supporters as ‘a basket of deplorables’ in 2016.

‘Joe Biden finally said what he and Kamala really think of our supporters, he called them garbage, and they mean it, even though, without question, my supporters are far higher quality than Crooked Joe Biden,’ Trump remarked.

‘My response to Joe and Kamala is very simple. You can’t lead America if you don’t love Americans, and you just can’t be president if you hate the American people, and there’s a lot of hatred.’

North Carolina is a battleground state highly sought after by both candidates.

In 2008, Barack Obama was the first Democratic presidential candidate to win North Carolina in 30 years. Trump emerged victorious in 2016 and narrowly defeated Biden by 1.3 percent of the vote in 2020.

Roy Cooper, a Democrat serving as governor since 2017, spoke in Raleigh prior to Harris taking the stage, along with Attorney General Josh Stein, who is running for governor against Republican nominee Mark Robinson.

An average of polls by FiveThirtyEight on Oct. 30 showed Trump slightly ahead of Harris at 48.3 percent to 47.2 percent.

According to the state elections board, over 3.1 million people in North Carolina have already cast their ballots during early voting, which concludes on Nov. 2.

The western region of the state suffered severe flooding and mudslides from Hurricane Helene, displacing numerous residents.

The mountains of western North Carolina are considered a stronghold for Republicans.

The 25 counties in the disaster area have 1.3 million registered voters.

In Rocky Mount, Trump commended the early voting turnout in North Carolina and encouraged Republicans to ‘just go out and vote.’

Earlier on Oct. 30, before departing for her rallies, Harris was asked about Biden’s ‘garbage’ comment.

‘Listen, first of all, I think he clarified his comments, but let me be clear I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for,’ she responded.

When asked if she was worried about offending voters, Harris stated, ‘I’m sincere with what I mean, when elected president I will represent all Americans, including those who don’t vote for me, and address their needs and their desires.’

In Rocky Mount, Trump told attendees that Harris and Democrats have insulted Republicans ‘for the past nine years.’

‘They’ve bullied you, they’ve demeaned us, they’ve demonized us and censored us, and weaponized the power of our own government against us,’ Trump declared.

‘Kamala and her party have called us racists, bigots, fascists, deplorables, irredeemable Nazis, and they’ve called me Hitler.’

Trump disclosed that his father advised him to ‘never use the word Nazi’ and ‘never use the word Hitler.’

‘Now we’re called Nazis, and I’m called Hitler. I’m not Hitler,’ the former president emphasized.

Trump pledged to combat inflation, halt the influx of criminals into the country, and revive the American dream.

He also promised to restore American energy independence and champion drilling initiatives.