Former President Donald Trump held a rally in Wilmington highlighting his vision for the country with less than 30 days till early voting. The former president took the stage at the Aero Center at the Wilmington International Airport and delivered a wide-ranging speech, with a strong focus on economic issues.
Driving The News: Trump made bold promises to reduce energy costs and tackle inflation. He pledged to cut energy prices in half within a year under his administration’s economic plan, telling the crowd, “Mark it down, and you can’t get very angry with me if we don’t do it.” He also promised to rapidly defeat inflation, claiming that doing so would reduce interest rates and cut $1,000 from the monthly cost of a typical mortgage.
- Alongside his energy and inflation goals, Trump laid out tax reform proposals, including the elimination of taxes on tips, overtime pay, and Social Security benefits.
- He also floated a proposal to cap credit card interest rates at 10%, framing it as a way to ease financial burdens on middle-class Americans.
Close Race: Trump’s return to Wilmington follows the cancellation of his last rally in the city back in April due to inclement weather. His visit comes at a time when the race in North Carolina is tightening, with a recent Carolina Journal poll showing Trump narrowly leading Democratic nominee Kamala Harris by just 0.3%.
- Trump holds 45.6% of the vote to Harris’ 45.3%, with 6% of voters still undecided, making the state a key battleground.
- Inflation continues to be the top issue for Carolina voters at almost 30% followed by immigration (15.9%) and the economy (15.8%).
Notably absent from the rally was North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the GOP gubernatorial candidate. Robinson has faced pressure to exit the race after a damaging CNN article raised serious concerns about his past behavior on a porn message board.
