Trump, in North Carolina, says Republicans will defy midterm odds
AI generated
GREENVILLE, North Carolina -
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Republicans → say → odds
With his approval rating at record lows, US President Donald Trump attempted to defy political gravity in a pep rally in North Carolina on Oct 20, urging voters to support his favoured Senate candidate in a race some Republican groups have already given up on.
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groups → attempt → race
Trump has embarked on a campaign blitz ahead of the Nov 3 midterm elections, travelling more than 46,671km since late September to boost Republican candidates – and his second stop in North Carolina in as many months was a signal of how much is at stake in this southern state.
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much → embark → state
Polls show former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper with a commanding lead over Republican Michael Whatley, a former senior party official, in a Senate race that could help decide the balance of power in Washington.
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that → show → Washington
The two are running to fill the seat of retiring Republican Thom Tillis, a one-time Trump ally, who split with the president over his landmark tax Bill and defence policy.
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who → run → Bill
Tillis told Politico in an Oct 20 interview that his fellow Republicans were headed towards “a train wreck” and a “whoop ass” in November.
But Trump, speaking in the eastern city of Greenville on the night of Oct 20, predicted Whatley would prove the doubters wrong.
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doubters → tell → Oct
“I think you’re gonna see some amazing results,” he told hundreds of supporters who gathered on the grounds of the local airport.
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who → think → airport
“They never poll us right.
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They → poll → us
We have more spirit.”
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We → have → spirit
‘We need you’
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We → need → you
Trump won North Carolina in each of his three presidential runs, but Democrats are banking on a breakthrough performance in 2026, with polls showing a clear majority of Americans dissatisfied with rising prices and the war in Iran.
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polls → win → Iran
The president’s approval rating has fallen to 31%, according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos survey, the lowest mark at any point during his two terms in office.
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rating → fall → office
In early voting in North Carolina, Democrats have cast more ballots than Republicans by a two-to-one margin, according to state data.
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Democrats → cast → data
Republican candidates on the night of Oct 21 implored voters to turn out early.
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candidates → implore → voters
“This is a Republican majority district,” said Laurie Buckhout, a Trump-backed candidate running for a congressional seat in a mostly rural eastern district.
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Buckhout → say → district
“We have the momentum.
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We → have → momentum
We have the message.
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We → have → message
Now we need you.”
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we → need → you
Republicans hold 10 of the state’s 14 House seats, but a handful of districts are viewed as battlegrounds this cycle – and have attracted significant spending.
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handful → hold → spending
Buckhout’s race against Democratic Representative Don Davis has drawn US$21 million (S$26.83 million) in outside money since Sept 1, making it the third most expensive contest in the country, according to a Reuters analysis of campaign filings.
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it → draw → filings
In the state’s mountainous west, outside groups have spent US$14.5 million on the race between Democrat Jamie Ager and Republican Jennifer Balkcom.
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groups → spend → Ager
Whatley, by contrast, has largely been abandoned by the national party apparatus.
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Whatley → abandon → apparatus
The Senate Leadership Fund, the primary PAC supporting Republican candidates for the upper chamber, cut off spending in North Carolina earlier in October as Cooper posted double-digit leads in poll after poll.
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Cooper → support → poll
‘Tighten that ship up’
Trump’s popularity has cratered since he ordered military strikes on Iran in February alongside US ally Israel, triggering a surge in petrol and diesel prices.
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he → tighten → prices
Some 68% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy, Reuters/Ipsos has found, including 37% of self-identified Republicans.
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% → disapprove → Republicans
Taylor Smith, who described herself as a housewife in Greenville, told Reuters she had only ever voted Republican, but the drama of the Trump administration had her thinking twice.
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her → describe → administration
Disorgansation within the White House was bleeding into policy, she said, revealing Trump’s lack of focus.
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she → bleed → focus
“Anything good that could be happening is being co-opted by the tomfoolery that’s just going on,” Smith said.
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Smith → happen → tomfoolery
“I hate these gas prices,” she added, urging the president to “tighten that ship up.”
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she → hate → ship
As he has in events across the country, Trump heralded what he said were new local investments on the night of Oct 20.
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he → herald → Oct
Sibelco, an industrial minerals mining and processing company, was expanding its operations in North Carolina, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick announced on stage without providing specifics.
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Lutnick → mine → specifics
Sibelco did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Sibelco → respond → comment
Trump said the US Defence Department would also invest $US1.5 billion in semiconductor chip production in North Carolina, but did not say where or how the money would be spent.
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money → say → Carolina
Towards the end of his speech, the president repeated his promise to give US$5,000 to every US adult should Republicans maintain their hold on Congress.
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Republicans → repeat → Congress
“If we lose,” he said, “you get nothing.”
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you → lose → nothing
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