At rally in Fayetteville, President Trump promises to nominate a woman to high court
With less than seven weeks left until the general election, President Donald Trump spoke to a lively crowd peppered with red hats and shirts at Fayetteville Regional Airport Saturday evening. It’s Trump’s fourth visit to the state in the last month.
“I hate to say, your governor’s got you shut down,” Trump said, addressing a tightly-packed crowd of at least a thousand. “It doesn’t look good here. I think your governor has to let this state open.”
In a nearly two-hour speech on a windy, cloudy day, Trump said he would “deliver a safe and effective vaccine” for the novel coronavirus this year.
Seats were crammed together at the outdoor event, with no social distancing and less than half of attendees wearing masks. Attendees’ temperatures were checked, and organizers had encouraged supporters to wear masks. The entourage behind Trump on stage wore masks, though some wore them incorrectly.
The president’s campaign stop comes a day after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died from cancer-related complications. She was 87.
Ahead of his appearance in Fayetteville, Trump tweeted Saturday that the GOP has an “obligation” to select a new justice “without delay.”
Trump told the crowd Saturday his nominee “will be” a woman. He is expected to announce his nomination next week.
“So Article 2 of our Constitution says the president shall nominate justices of the Supreme Court,” Trump told a crowd that repeatedly cheered “Fill that seat.” “I don’t think it can be anymore clear, can it?”
With 45 days left until the election, the Trump campaign has said they’re using the final push to get “first-time President Trump” voters, The News & Observer reported.
“This is the most important election we’ve ever had,” Trump said. “Get out and vote.”
U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, who spoke ahead of Trump on Saturday, said he wants to fill the Supreme Court vacancy before Nov. 3, The News & Observer reported.
“We send our condolences to her family and loved ones,” Tillis said in his speech at the rally. “Now we got something else we gotta do. The president has the responsibility and the authority to nominate a justice.”
Tillis did not support President Barack Obama’s nomination to the Supreme Court in 2016 to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia ahead of the election.
Law enforcement issues
At Saturday’s event, Tillis emphasized that he “backs the blue,” referring to law enforcement.
“The Democrats want to talk about peaceful protests, but I don’t know about you but I don’t think rioting, looting and arson is peaceful,” Tillis said, as the crowd cheered. “We’re gonna reject that, right? We’re going to back the blue.”
N.C. Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, who is the Republican candidate for governor, also referred to recent protests in his speech before Trump took the stage.
“When I’m governor, I will never allow the mob to destroy our cities,” Forest said. “My friends, if you want to continue to be land of the free … you will elect Donald Trump for four more years.”
During his speech, Trump accused Democratic nominee Joe Biden of wanting to “defund police departments” and said some North Carolina Democrats signed a pledge to “slash” funding for police. Democrats, however, have said while some had signed a 2018 pledge regarding policing, “defunding” the police was not part of the pledge, The News & Observer previously reported.
“If (Biden) wins, North Carolina is screwed and so is everyplace else,” Trump said. He also said he’d never again visit states that he didn’t win, including North Carolina.
Trump also touched on his usual talking points, including criticizing “the fake media,” Biden, vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
‘A lot of things he’s for, I’m for’
Seated at the event and waiting for speeches to begin, Alex Barker, 38, of Raeford, North Carolina, said he plans on voting for Trump for a second time. It’s his first time ever attending a rally, he said.
“A lot of things he’s for, I’m for,” said Barker, who said he served in the military for 20 years.
In particular, Barker said, he appreciates the president’s anti-abortion, “pro law and order, pro America” stance.
‘I think this is a situation in which more than ever, we gotta show him support,” Barker said.
Helen Sayler, 67, of Virginia Beach, also plans on voting for Trump for a second time. She said she is an unaffiliated voter and said she wants to remove politicians who have been in office for too long.
“His tweets don’t bother me at all,” Sayler said. “He’s done a fantastic job helping this country... His tactics are very business-like and that’s the way a lot of this stuff should be handled.”
For more North Carolina government and politics news, listen to the Domecast politics podcast from The News & Observer and the NC Insider. You can find it on Megaphone, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts.
This story was originally published September 19, 2020 at 5:45 PM.
