Galen Bacharier, NC Newsline

North Carolina suffered an estimated $53.6 billion in damages from Hurricane Helene, Gov. Roy Cooper said Wednesday, as he outlined his request for more relief money in an unprecedented recovery effort for the western part of the state.

Cooper is asking lawmakers to approve $3.9 billion in state aid, calling it a “down payment on western North Carolina’s future” as communities in the mountains dig out of a disaster that killed 96 North Carolinians and destroyed thousands of homes, miles of roads and dozens of water systems.

Its estimated damages are triple that of Hurricane Florence, which devastated the southeastern section of the state in 2018.

“It is no exaggeration to describe Helene as the deadliest and most damaging storm to ever hit North Carolina,” Cooper said.

The governor’s nearly $4 billion ask comes a day before the General Assembly comes into session, when it is widely expected to consider another round of aid. Earlier this month, lawmakers approved $273 million of relief in what leaders called a “first step” of western North Carolina’s recovery.

That initial aid package prioritized qualifying for FEMA disaster money, as well as helping local election officials prepare ahead of Nov. 5.

This next bundle of money seeks to address widespread damages to housing, infrastructure, utilities and agriculture — made worse by a widespread lack of flood insurance and a major hit to the region’s tourism revenue. And although state officials are estimating the state could receive $13.6 billion in federal aid, it could take months to arrive.

“These counties that don’t have a lot of money anyway, they’re going to need significant help from the state and federal government to recover,” Cooper told reporters at a news conference in Raleigh.

Staffers from Cooper’s office and legislative leaders’ teams have met in recent days to outline the scale of the damage and the state’s request. It remains to be seen how much the General Assembly will choose to appropriate.

“This is just a start,” Cooper said. “This report on Hurricane Helene is the first, but it should not be the last.”

Cooper’s biggest asks: Business grants, housing recovery and aid for farmers

Among the most significant line-items in Cooper’s near-$4 billion budget request is a grant program for small businesses.

Storm-impacted counties account for 45% of the state’s GDP and contain more than half a million businesses. Cooper is asking for $475 million to distribute in grants to those businesses and revitalize a regional economy normally fueled by tourism.

“These businesses need cash, fast,” Cooper said.

The program would focus initially on the hardest-hit counties before expanding to the entire western region impacted by the storm. State officials say that if approved, the program could be up and running quickly.

“This is modeled after a program the Department of Revenue ran during the pandemic,” state budget director Kristin Walker said. “The state knows how to do this, and could get the money out.”

Cooper is also requesting $325 million for housing recovery. The state is expecting to eventually receive federal dollars for housing, Walker said, but it could take up to two years to arrive.

In the meantime, an estimated 126,000 homes suffered damage — and 92.5% of them don’t have flood insurance.

“Private insurance will not be picking up the tab on these things,” Walker said.

A proposal for an additional $150 million would match FEMA aid in the region, which saw a housing crunch even before the storm. More than 55% of the population were experiencing a burden in housing costs before Helene, state officials said.

Also tucked into the budget request is $175 million for ReBuild NC, also known as the N.C. Office of Recovery and Resiliency, to address needs in its homeowner recovery program. Inside Climate News reported last week that the agency, which received federal disaster money after Hurricanes Florence and Matthew, has a deficit of more than $150 million.

“We have become aware of this in recent weeks,” Walker said. “It took a while to untangle what the need actually was.”

Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) said in a statement Wednesday that the agency “blows a hole” in the state budget.

“NCORR leaders have repeatedly tried to cover up their failures at the expense of hurricane victims,” Berger said. “Their attempts to hide problems rather than own up to their incompetence has resulted in a continuing disaster for hurricane victims.”

More than 18,000 farms were impacted by the storm, with less than 10% of them federally insured. Cooper is asking for $225 million to aid farmers, who could spend years regrowing specialty crops.

Also included in the relief package: $100 million in repair needs for public schools and community colleges; $102 million for government facility repairs and renovations; $100 million for water infrastructure needs; and $200 million to address lingering needs from Matthew and Florence.

Gov. Roy Cooper and the Office of State Budget and Management have released a 99-page report assessing the damage and recommended recovery after Hurricane Helene. You can read it in its entirety here.

NC Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. NC Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Rob Schofield for questions: info@ncnewsline.com. Follow NC Newsline on Facebook and X.

Gov. Roy Cooper said Wednesday that he believed Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson’s presence on the ballot could hurt former President Donald Trump’s chances of winning the battleground state this November.

“There’s some down-ballot things going on – some guy running for governor on the Republican side who’s made a little news,” Cooper said during an interview at The New York Times’ Climate Forward conference.

“And we think there can be a bottom-up effect here. Because Donald Trump makes guys like Mark Robinson, supports them, encourages them, still hasn’t condemned him in any way.”

A CNN investigation last week found a history of explicit sexual and racial comments posted online by an account tied to Robinson. The lieutenant governor has denied that he made the comments and hired an attorney; meanwhile, staff have left his campaign and Republicans have distanced themselves from Robinson politically and financially. When Astead Herndon, the Times reporter and podcast host interviewing Cooper, remarked that he wouldn’t repeat the comments found by CNN, Cooper joked that “you’d get a call from the FCC.”

“(Trump) needs to suffer the consequences of creating and supporting people like Mark Robinson, as does every Republican leader in North Carolina who supported and endorsed it,” Cooper added.

It remains to be seen how the governor’s race could impact what’s expected to be a razor-thin race for president in North Carolina. Recent polls have shown Attorney General Josh Stein, a Democrat, leading by double digits over Robinson. Presidential polls, meanwhile, show the state as an effective toss-up at the moment.

Robinson, previously a sure bet to speak ahead of Trump at North Carolina rallies, no longer appears at events with him or his vice presidential nominee, U.S. Sen. JD Vance.

Democrats have placed 12 additional billboards in cities across the state this week highlighting Trump’s strong words endorsing Robinson, even as the lieutenant governor has lost key Republican endorsements.

The governor’s trip to New York City also marked the first time since the new revelations that he has ceded temporary control of the state to Robinson. Under North Carolina law, the lieutenant governor serves as acting governor when the chief executive is out of the state.

Cooper talks climate and how to get GOP cooperation on energy spending

Cooper has focused heavily on clean energy spending and investment in recent years. That spending was the focus of his interview Thursday, during which he explained how he sought to navigate Republican majorities and opposition to — or outright denial of — climate change.

It has been key to pitch clean energy spending as an economic boon, Cooper said, and tout the industry’s ability to create long-term jobs and revenue.

“There’s always a see-saw in electoral politics that’s partisan,” he said. “You want to make sure the investments you’re making in energy can survive a blue wave or a red wave.”

NC Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. NC Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Rob Schofield for questions: info@ncnewsline.com. Follow NC Newsline on Facebook and X.

Ballots have officially been cast for the 2024 election in North Carolina.

As of Monday morning, just over 100 military and overseas ballots have been returned. And on Tuesday, tens of thousands of absentee ballots will be mailed to voters across the battleground Tar Heel state as Nov. 5 creeps ever closer.

County elections boards have received more than 207,000 absentee ballot requests as of Monday, said Karen Brinson-Bell, executive director of the North Carolina Board of Elections. That’s in addition to 19,000 military and overseas requests.

If you want to vote by mail, you still have time to request an absentee ballot — the deadline is Oct. 29.

But make sure you leave yourself enough time to receive it, fill it out and return it to your county elections board. A new state law requires that absentee ballots must be received by your county board by no later than 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.

“The U.S. Postal Service is saying to make sure you put your completed ballot in the mail at least a week before Election Day — earlier, if possible — to ensure that it will arrive on time to be counted,” Brinson-Bell said on a call with reporters Monday.

Ballots were originally set to mail out on Sept. 6, before a lawsuit and eventual state Supreme Court ruling removed Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s name and forced counties to reprint millions of ballots total.

After NC Board of Elections was targeted with suspicious package, director says they ‘won’t be intimidated’

Last week, a manila envelope “containing a white, powdery substance” and addressed to the NCSBE was found at a state mail center service in Raleigh. It didn’t contain hazardous materials, and Brinson-Bell said it matched similar reports addressed to other state election officials around the country. County election boards have been briefed so they can respond to any similar incidents, and the FBI is investigating.

Brinson-Bell said the board and election works will be taking precautions — whether that be wearing plastic gloves, constructing partial barriers or other measures — but are “not going to be intimidated by this.”

“What we really need people to remember is the people they’re trying to scare, the people they’re trying to intimidate … they’re trying to intimidate their former high school teacher,” she said. “They’re trying to make the work difficult for the same person that shops at the grocery store right beside them. They’re trying to make life hard so that their neighbor cannot cast their ballot.”

Will USPS see delays in mailing ballots?

Brinson-Bell was among those election directors who signed off on a letter to the head of the U.S. Postal Service earlier this month, expressing concerns that the mail system could disenfranchise some voters.

“We do see some strong customer service from the folks here in North Carolina who oversee our distribution centers and so forth,” she said. “But we do recognize that we have seen delays in our state. Many other states have seen more significant delays, and we don’t want that to be the case for our elections.”

U.S. Postmaster Louis DeJoy has pushed back on that criticism, arguing that some of the concerns are “generalities” and touted USPS’s “heroic efforts” to meet ballot deadlines.

NC Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. NC Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Rob Schofield for questions: info@ncnewsline.com. Follow NC Newsline on Facebook and X.

North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson said Monday he was going to “go after” CNN after the network published an investigation last week about his history of disturbing online comments.

The Republican nominee for governor has decried the story as “salacious tabloid trash,” insisting that “those are not the words of Mark Robinson,” while staff exit the campaign. And in comments to reporters in Wilkesboro on Monday morning, Robinson said he was in talks “up to legal counsel” to “take CNN to task.”

“We are going after them, okay?” Robinson said. “We are going to go after them for what they’ve done.”

He added that with five weeks left in the campaign, “we are not going to let CNN throw us off of our mission.” And he blasted the press for focusing on the controversy enveloping his candidacy rather than policy issues like the economy.

“You’re not focused on those things,” he said. “I am. I’m going to remain focused on those things. And you’d better understand, I am coming after CNN full throttle.”

Robinson has continued to hit the trail in the wake of the report, as some North Carolina Republicans distance themselves from him and the GOP presidential ticket ignores him at events in the battleground state.

A number of prominent staffers, including the campaign manager, deputy campaign manager, political director and more, have all left the campaign. After far-right conspiracy theorist Jack Burkman claimed on social media Sunday that he had assumed the role of “acting campaign manager,” campaign spokesperson Mike Lonergan said that was “completely false.”

Robinson’s opponent, Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein, has called Robinson “unfit” to serve as governor.

NC Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. NC Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Rob Schofield for questions: info@ncnewsline.com. Follow NC Newsline on Facebook and X.

North Carolina’s senior U.S. senator and the chairman of the state Republican Party offered starkly different assessments Friday on former President Donald Trump’s recent travel with far-right activist and conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer.

A former congressional candidate in Florida who also worked for several right-wing activist organizations, Loomer has described herself as “pro-white nationalism” and a “proud Islamophobe.” She has falsely claimed that multiple school shootings were staged and has previously endorsed claims that the Sept. 11 attacks were “an inside job.”

Loomer, who has gained notoriety through frequent racist, homophobic and offensive social media posts and public stunts, accompanied Trump at the recent presidential debate. Her presence alongside the former president has sparked alarm and pushback among some prominent Republicans.

Among them is North Carolina’s U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis.

“Laura Loomer is a crazy conspiracy theorist who regularly utters disgusting garbage intended to divide Republicans,” Tillis wrote on social media Friday. “A DNC plant couldn’t do a better job than she is doing to hurt President Trump’s chances of winning re-election. Enough.”

Tillis’ comments echo those of his GOP colleague U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who told HuffPost on Thursday that Loomer’s history was “really toxic” and that her presence isn’t “helpful at all.”

The chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party, however, espoused a different view. Asked about Tillis’ comments on CNN this afternoon, Jason Simmons said Trump was “intellectually curious” and received input from “various individuals.”

“What we continue to see is President Trump listens to a number of individuals, not just one individual that Sen. Tillis might want to highlight,” Simmons said. “He receives input from various individuals, and as he’s on the ground, he’s constantly asking, what’s going on, what are people seeing, how are they feeling? And looking for that input. Continuing to solicit that advice, not just from a single source, but from everybody. That’s what’s always made President Trump very intellectually curious.”

Simmons, pressed by host Dana Bash, declined to say whether he agreed with Tillis and didn’t answer whether he was “comfortable” with Trump listening to Loomer.

“What I would continue to highlight is what we see from President Trump, where he continues to highlight a message of hope and optimism for our country,” Simmons said.

Simmons, an alumnus of the Trump campaigns in 2016 and 2020, was elected to chair the state party in May after former chair Michael Whatley was named co-chair of the Republican National Committee. Trump endorsed Simmons prior to the party vote.

Tillis has publicly differed with Trump on multiple occasions previously, but has also backed down at times — most notably on immigration policy — when pushed by Trump loyalists in the GOP. In June of 2023, delegates to the North Carolina Republican Convention voted to censure Tillis for working with Democratic senators to find common ground on issues like LGBTQ+ rights, immigration and gun violence.

NC Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. NC Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Rob Schofield for questions: info@ncnewsline.com. Follow NC Newsline on Facebook and X.

Former President Donald Trump on Friday traveled to North Carolina to address police and accept the endorsement of the largest law enforcement union in the U.S.

Speaking at a meeting of the Fraternal Order of Police in Charlotte, Trump pledged to “back the blue” while railing against Vice President Kamala Harris’ record on criminal justice.

“We might over-fund the police,” Trump said.

And with early voting in North Carolina about to get underway, he urged officers to “watch for voter fraud.” (There has been no evidence of widespread voter fraud in presidential elections, in North Carolina or elsewhere, despite Trump’s claims.)

“I hope you watch for voter fraud,” Trump said. “It starts early. It starts in a week. …. Believe it or not, they’re afraid of that badge. They’re afraid of you people. I hope you can watch.”

The former president criticized law enforcement action taken against him in front of the crowd of officers — calling the ongoing Manhattan trial against him a “DA witch hunt” and an “attack by my political opponent.”

Trump also said he was calling for “a strong death penalty for anyone who kills a police officer,” which garnered cheers from the crowd.

Trump on RFK Jr.’s removal from NC ballots: ‘A big thing’

Trump also commented on news earlier Friday that Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s name would be removed from North Carolina ballots.

Counties were to begin mailing absentee ballots Friday with Kennedy on them, but the Appeals Court order now prevents it. He dropped out of the race and endorsed Trump last month.

“It means all of those who love Bobby, and there’s a lot of them … they vote for me,” Trump said. “All the Bobby people are going to vote for me, and I appreciate the decision.”

Durham sheriff blasts Trump ahead of speech to police

Harris’ campaign, which has aimed to position the race as a prosecutor vs. a convicted felon, offered criticism from officers ahead of Trump’s remarks Friday.

Durham County Sheriff Clarence Birkhead said in a call with reporters that the former president “can’t be trusted to deliver on his promises” to law enforcement.

“He would waste precious time and money on his personal grievances instead of pouring valuable resources into communities like mine that rely on our federal partners,” Birkhead said.

Birkhead was also joined by Harry Dunn, a former Capitol Police officer who was present at the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and has been outspoken against Trump since.

“He doesn’t care that he put my life and the lives of my fellow Capitol Police officers in danger on Jan. 6,” Dunn said. “He only cares about getting power for himself.”

NC Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. NC Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Rob Schofield for questions: info@ncnewsline.com. Follow NC Newsline on Facebook and X.

For months, North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson has campaigned for governor away from the eyes of the press and much of the public.

That changed this week, as Robinson began crisscrossing the state for a series of meet-and-greets at restaurants. His campaign has advertised it as the start of his “Statewide Tour” — a marked change after months of appearances at churches, businesses and county Republican meetings that were not publicized.

Robinson delivered brief stump speeches during stops in eastern North Carolina on Thursday, laying out his broad vision for the state and railing against his Democratic opponent before snapping photos with supporters.

And unlike some of his previous less-well-publicized speeches in which he uttered combative and controversial remarks — including at least one that critics say amounted to a call to political violence — his remarks focused broadly on the economy and schools as he pledged rapid economic growth and a “return to classical education” in public schools.

“The economy is the present, the education system is the future,” Robinson told a group gathered in the back room of Shep’s Grill in the Beaufort County town of Washington.

And he sketched out a vision of North Carolina government under his leadership — including a new regime of department and agency heads.

“When the governor appoints people that will modernize those agencies, make sure they’re not weaponized against you, and make sure that those agencies are putting up guardrails instead of barriers, this state is going to explode economically,” Robinson said.

Robinson has repeatedly suggested that the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) was “weaponized” by his critics to steer a state investigation into his wife’s now closed nonprofit — Balanced Nutrition, Inc.

In July, the department ordered the nonprofit to repay more than $132,000 following a finding of “serious deficiencies” in the organization’s management of federal funds it was supposed to administer under a state contract to aid childcare centers. An investigation determined that Balanced Nutrition improperly billed the federal food program for excessive administrative costs and maintained inadequate documentation for some food purchases. The nonprofit also bought items not allowed for the childcare program.

Robinson goes after Stein while defending his scrutinized daycare

The lieutenant governor didn’t shy away from attacking his opponent — Attorney General Josh Stein — on Thursday. He tied him to national Democrats who he says have “broken” the country and economy. And he criticized Stein’s past as a legislator, while saying he “refused to do his darn job as attorney general.”

“What do you want from Josh Stein? You want him to do what he did back in 2008, when he was in the legislature, when the state was dead broke?” Robinson said.

Robinson has faced criticism from across the aisle about his own history — including the Greensboro daycare formerly owned by him and his wife.

Stein’s campaign has aired television ads highlighting state citations against the daycare, branding it “unsafe for our kids.”

Robinson has staunchly defended his ownership of the daycare. He continued to do so Thursday, calling it “one of the proudest moments of my life.”

“I’ve got a lying guy named Josh Stein that will take false images and try to place them on me, try to make me look like a criminal,” Robinson said at Brantley’s Village Restaurant in Oriental. “Over the work that I’ve done, to try and get people to vote for him.”

Stein, who leads Robinson in recent polls of the governor’s race, has opted for a more public-facing campaign in recent months compared to Robinson. He has held a series of “Real Time with Stein” townhalls, in which he fields questions from voters, as well as meet-and-greets.

The attorney general has argued that Robinson’s policy agenda and history of inflammatory remarks would hurt the state’s economy and standing.

“What I need to do is talk to as many North Carolinians as I can and show them the clear contrast that exists between my opponent and me,” Stein told NC Newsline after a townhall in Raleigh earlier this month. “He fights job-killing culture wars, I fight for people and deliver results.”

Earlier this week, EMPAC, the political action committee of the State Employees Association of North Carolina (SEANC), announced it would be endorsing Stein for Governor.

The organization noted that Stein has shown a willingness to work with SEANC on several employee-related issues, whereas Robinson did not respond to multiple requests for interviews from the Statewide EMPAC Committee.

For Republicans in eastern NC, economy is top of mind

Voters who attended Robinson’s campaign stops in eastern North Carolina and spoke to NC Newsline all cited the economy and costs of living as a top issue heading into the election.

“I’m not better off than I was four years ago, and I want that changed,” said Joey Roberts, a Pamlico County resident who saw Robinson in Oriental. “Price of gas, price of groceries. I’ve got grown adult children, I’ve got grandkids who aren’t experiencing what I experienced when I was their age, with all this stuff.”

Anna Kelley, also of Pamlico County, said rising prices had made affordable groceries more of a struggle for her and her husband.

“We’ve done the best we can with what we can do,” Kelley said. “It don’t help when everything’s going up.”

NC Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. NC Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Rob Schofield for questions: info@ncnewsline.com. Follow NC Newsline on Facebook and X.

Republicans sued North Carolina’s elections board on Thursday, demanding enforcement of a new law that requires cross-checking jury documents to remove non-citizens from voter rolls.

The Republican National Committee and North Carolina GOP allege that the North Carolina State Board of Elections has “deliberately declined” to enforce the law.

In a news release, they said the lawsuit was designed to “force the NCSBE to immediately clean the voter rolls and prevent non-citizens from voting in November.”

“The NCSBE has chosen to blatantly ignore the law, undermine basic election safeguards, and neglect a fundamental principle of our election integrity,” RNC Chairman Michael Whatley said. “The RNC and NCGOP defended this law in court, and now we will make sure the NCSBE follows and enforces these critical safeguards in The Old North State.”

A spokesperson for the board of elections said Republican claims that they were refusing to comply with the law were “categorically false.”

Elections staff this month cross-checked voter rolls with lists of those excused from jury duty because they said they were not citizens, spokesperson Patrick Gannon said.

They found eight individuals who matched both lists.

If those eight people are found to not be U.S. citizens via databases, they’ll be asked to cancel their registration. But federal law prevents the state board from directly removing people from the rolls within 90 days of an election. A new process involving county boards of elections will begin in 2025.

“The State Board has been transparent about this process from the very beginning,” Gannon said by email. “Agency staff briefed Republican legislative leadership staff of its compliance plans as early as last November.

“The State Board informed all election officials, Republican and Democratic, of this program at its publicly open statewide elections conference at the beginning of this month. And agency staff have been traveling the state over the past month, informing clerks of court at their regional conferences of how this program must be carried out this year to comply with federal law. These clerks are both Republicans and Democrats.”

The elections board is requesting that Republicans “immediately rescind their press releases” on the matter — arguing that they will “undermine voter confidence on an entirely false premise.”

GOP says lack of enforcement would make it ‘more difficult’ for them to win

In their lawsuit, Republicans argue that a lack of enforcement “will make the competitive environment worse for (the RNC and NCGOP) and more difficult for their candidates (and voters) to win in the upcoming election.”

“Plaintiffs should not be forced to compete in an illegally structured voting environment, in which people claiming non-citizenship are not investigated and potentially removed from voter rolls in accordance with the law,” the lawsuit says.

The party is also asking for the state board to produce documents requested under North Carolina’s public records law.

Republicans’ records request has not been denied, Gannon said. But he said that to the board’s knowledge, “there was no attempt” to follow up and resolve their records request before suing, which is required.

Non-citizens voting is already illegal in federal elections. But Republicans in North Carolina and elsewhere have raised it as a possibility — and even proposed a constitutional amendment proposal on the matter — ahead of November.

It ties two issues key to former President Donald Trump and broader Republican messaging — immigration and election security.

The North Carolina lawsuit comes hours after the Supreme Court allowed partial enforcement of an Arizona law barring people from voting if they don’t provide proof of citizenship upon registration.

NC Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. NC Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Rob Schofield for questions: info@ncnewsline.com. Follow NC Newsline on Facebook and X.

In a North Carolina speech designed to hone in on his economic message, former President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned of a “1929-style depression” under his opponent, while pledging to roll back major Biden-era initiatives and spending.

Trump’s remarks — which he branded as “intellectual” to attendees in Asheville — frequently veered off into personal criticisms of Vice President Kamala Harris, and included asides on immigration and President Joe Biden’s decision to drop out from the race.

He repeatedly predicted that Harris’ campaign would roll out an economic agenda that is “a copy of my plan,” after the vice president echoed his call to not tax tips. And he said he would “immediately” restore the economy to pre-pandemic conditions if returned to the White House.

“If Harris wins this election, the result will be a Kamala economic crash,” Trump said from the stage at Wolfe Auditorium. “A 1929-style depression. When I win the election, we will immediately begin a brand new Trump economic boom. It will be a boom.”

He sought to illustrate inflation’s impact, asking supporters whether they “feel rich under Kamala Harris and Crooked Joe” than they were under his administration (they shouted “no”). And during the speech, he pulled out regular and miniature containers of Tic Tac breath mints, comparing them and saying “this is inflation.”

Harris will deliver an economic speech of her own in Raleigh on Friday.

Gov. Roy Cooper, in a statement shared by the Harris campaign ahead of the speech Wednesday, called Trump “a bad bet North Carolina can’t afford,” and Harris “a proven winner who’s delivered for our state.”

“People in western North Carolina know when they’re getting played because they experienced it when then-President Donald Trump ran our economy into the ground like he drove his own casinos into bankruptcy, with low wages for working people, fewer jobs and high unemployment,” Cooper said.

Annual inflation fell below 3% for the first time since 2021 in Consumer Price Index data released Wednesday. The cooling rate, combined with a potential cut in interest rates by the Federal Reserve on the horizon, is a pivotal moment in officials’ years-long fight to tame inflation and combat high prices. But it remains a potent political issue, as consumers continue to eye higher costs for food, cars and housing and both parties seek effective messaging on solutions.

Trump attacks Biden’s economic spending — and his vice president

Much of the former president’s agenda for the economy involves rolling back spending and initiatives from the Biden White House.

He promised to “terminate the Green New Scam” — a nickname for the administration’s wide-ranging climate agenda — and claw back unspent money. (A POLITICO analysis found that as of April, less than a quarter of the $1.1 trillion dedicated to investments had been spent.)

Trump said he would issue an executive order to direct “every cabinet secretary” to “defeat inflation and bring consumer prices down,” as he lamented the price of food.

“The cost of groceries, the cost of bacon,” Trump said. “I don’t order bacon anymore, it’s too expensive.”

And he repeated his call to “drill, baby, drill,” and harness fracking to produce oil and energy domestically. His administration, he promised, would slash energy prices “by half at least” in the first 12 to 18 months. Trump pledged he would reopen Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to drilling.

Behind him on stage, the background set was emblazoned with calls for “no tax on tips” and “no tax on Social Security.”

At one point, Trump expressed reluctance at solely focusing on the economy, remarking that “they say it’s the most important subject.”

“I’m not sure it is,” he added later, “but they say it is.”

Dispersed throughout his plans were attacks on Harris, several of which he debuted in a rally in Charlotte shortly after Biden said he was stepping aside. He mocked her laugh — “that’s the laugh of a crazy person, I tell you” — and repeatedly called her “stupid.”

“You know why she hasn’t done an interview?” Trump said. “Because she’s not smart. She’s not intelligent.”

Harris to respond with her own economic agenda in Raleigh

Trump’s visit, his second to North Carolina since President Joe Biden dropped out of the race, comes as the former president aims to seize back momentum in a reshaped campaign.

Polling across battleground states, including North Carolina, indicates that Harris is narrowing the margins that existed between Biden and Trump, and in some surveys gaining a lead in those states.

The vice president is set to visit North Carolina on Friday for the first time since securing the nomination, after a prior event was cancelled due to Tropical Story Debby.

She will give a speech in Raleigh focused on “her plan to lower costs for middle-class families and take on corporate price gouging,” according to her campaign. And she is expected to call for an expansion of the Child Tax Credit and more affordable housing, The New York Times reported.

Earlier Wednesday, Democratic officials across the state criticized Trump and the conservative policy blueprint Project 2025, warning of potential cuts to Social Security and Medicare and higher prescription drug costs.

“Trump is a con man, convicted felon, and a fraudster who’s doubling down on his extreme agenda to rig the economy for the wealthy at the expense of families in North Carolina,” said North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton. “Vice President Harris has a brighter future for our state, one where families have the chance not just to get by, but to get ahead.”

NC Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. NC Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Rob Schofield for questions: info@ncnewsline.com. Follow NC Newsline on Facebook and X.

Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi told North Carolina Democrats on Saturday that elections were “not about rewarding you for what you have done,” but “about what you’re going to do next.”

As Pelosi blasted former President Donald Trump — addressing him just as “what’s his name” — and Republicans, she lauded the state’s elected Democrats. And as she touted the party’s accomplishments in Washington, she urged them not to rest on their laurels ahead of November.

“This is about what comes next, and what comes next is very important for our country,” she said.

Pelosi’s remarks at the annual Unity Dinner come as she and other top Democratic elected officials, donors and operatives battle over the party’s presidential ticket.

She has reportedly told President Joe Biden she thinks he cannot win in November; endorsed an “open” nomination process in private discussions; and fielded calls with vulnerable House members who worry Biden could hurt their chances of victory down the ballot. She has not openly called for Biden to step aside as the party nominee.

Pelosi, who was the first woman to lead the U.S. House, made her own decision in November 2022 to step down from party leadership.

In her roughly half-hour speech, Pelosi said the president’s name only sparsely, and primarily in reference to his role in passing legislative priorities.

She reserved her most fervent praise for North Carolina’s Democrats, including gubernatorial candidate and Attorney General Josh Stein and Gov. Roy Cooper, who both also spoke.

In contrast, Pelosi sharply criticized Trump and his GOP allies, spending significant time on the Heritage Foundation-authored “ Project 2025” agenda.

“They don’t believe in science, they don’t believe in governance, they don’t believe in justice,” Pelosi said. “They believe in this goofy plan.”

As she concluded her speech, the former speaker urged Democrats to mobilize across the state and communicate the party’s message. She also sketched out “three ‘no’s.”

“No wasted time, no underutilized resources and no regrets the day after the election,” said Pelosi.

NC GOP says party is ‘more unified than ever’ in wake of Democrats’ event

Biden has repeatedly said he intends to stay in the race. Currently sidelined in Delaware with COVID-19, he said in a Friday evening statement that he “looks forward to getting back on the campaign trail next week.”

While the top levels of the party feuds over Biden’s candidacy, his campaign has continued to hold events in North Carolina.

Vice President Kamala Harris — who has emerged as the most likely successor to Biden if he steps aside — spoke in both Fayetteville and Greensboro within a week. Her speeches made no mention of the ongoing party infighting, instead focusing on former President Donald Trump, his running mate U.S. Sen. JD Vance and their policy agenda.

Ahead of the dinner, the North Carolina Republican Party mocked its title while touting widespread support of their presidential nominee.

“If this is ‘Unity’ for them I can’t imagine what it looks like when they’re divided,” NC GOP communications director Matt Mercer said in a statement. “On the other hand, Republicans are more unified than ever behind President Donald J. Trump, Senator JD Vance, and Republicans up and down the ballot.”

Cooper, Stein rally support as they lambast Robinson

North Carolina’s governor and the Democrat running to succeed him both rallied attendees to prepare for a tough race, while castigating the GOP nominee — Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson — as divisive and dangerous.

Cooper tied Robinson to Trump, saying workers would “get the shaft” under their leadership and abortion would be banned. And Stein called him a “conspiracy theorist” who “says the most awful things about other people.”

Cooper’s name has been floated in political circles as one possibility to serve as Harris’ running mate in the event that Biden drops out. But he praised the current ticket in his remarks Saturday.

“They are all in on North Carolina,” Cooper said.

Over 900 people attended Saturday’s event. Outside the convention center, around two dozen pro-Palestinian protesters gathered. U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna of California spoke briefly to the group, according to a video posted to his social media.

NC Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. NC Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Rob Schofield for questions: info@ncnewsline.com. Follow NC Newsline on Facebook and X.

North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson called on conservatives to commit themselves to a political movement fueled by love and faith in a speech Thursday, criticizing the media and at times growing tearful while addressing the Faith & Freedom Coalition prayer breakfast.

“If we are doing this because we hate those who oppose us, we will get nothing,” Robinson told attendees of the conservative advocacy group’s event. “We will be useless, even to our friends.”

And the Republican nominee for governor urged Christians to re-focus their church communities on faith itself.

“Christians in this nation for too long have used the church as a country club, as a meeting place, for gathering, to do business,” Robinson said.

“A church is not a place where we’re supposed to be meeting for the purposes of making money or making friends, or spreading our own message. A church is a place where we’re supposed to be spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

His remarks come ahead of the final day of the Republican National Convention, and struck a more personal chord than the brief address he gave to the full convention on Monday.

He pointed to his wife during the speech, saying she had “been through the fire” and “when they came after me, they came after her as well.”

Robinson quotes ‘Braveheart,’ calls media ‘corrupt to the core’

He doubled down on his description of former President Donald Trump as “America’s Braveheart.” And he asked attendees to think about how to respond to a question posed by William Wallace in the film: “what will you do with that freedom?”

“Will we feed our children pornography in schools?” Robinson asked. “Will we run our economy into the ground because we have become beholden to our enemies overseas? Will we cower and run in fear when lies are being told?”

Robinson also had pointed criticisms for the news media in the speech, calling it “corrupt to the core” while defending conservative views on abortion, gender and education.

“I tell people all the time, the media can get as mad as they want at me,” he said. “The left can get as mad as they want. Say what you want to say about me, frown all you want, boo all you want, jeer all you want. But if God is smiling because of what has come out of my mouth, I am happy indeed.”

The lieutenant governor’s history of inflammatory remarks has drawn national media attention and criticism from his political opponents. Attorney General Josh Stein, the Democrat running against him for governor, said Robinson’s comments last month that “some people need killing” amounted to “endorsing violence.”

NC Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. NC Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Rob Schofield for questions: info@ncnewsline.com. Follow NC Newsline on Facebook and X.