GASTONIA, N.C. — President Donald Trump leaned heavily toward law and order as he worked to build support for the Republican nominee in a North Carolina race that could decide which party controls the Senate during the second half of his second term. At an airport rally on Wednesday, Trump said Democrats coddle criminals, peppering his hour-long speech with graphic details of violent crimes that he said are a consequence of Democratic policies. Democratic candidate, former governor of North Carolina, Roy Cooper. At one point, a large video screen showed mugshots of anonymous criminal suspects. The Republican running against Cooper, Michael Whatley, will make the streets safer, Trump said. Whatley needs Trump to help him lay the MAGA foundation in his Senate race. Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images “You can vote for Roy Cooper to free the criminals who rape and murder your children and your people, or you can vote for Michael Whatley to protect and defend your children and your people,” Trump said. One of the speakers preceding Trump was Todd Blanche, the US attorney general. It’s a break from tradition for the attorney general to appear at partisan political rallies, but Trump has eroded some of the post-Watergate norms that sought to insulate the country’s top law enforcement official from politics. Trump’s trip to North Carolina is his third since December in support of Whatley’s campaign. Much depends on the result. The North Carolina seat is now held by Republican Thom Tillis, a retiring Trump critic. Democrats must gain four seats in the November elections to capture the majority in the Senate. Cooper led Whatley by 11 percentage points in the latest Elon University poll of likely voters. That makes North Carolina ripe for a possible Democratic comeback. Whatley needs Trump to energize the MAGA base. Whatley, a former Republican National Committee chairman, lacks the name recognition in the state that Cooper enjoys as a former two-term governor. It also faces a fundraising disadvantage. Cooper’s campaign had nearly $21 million to spend as of June 30, while Whatley’s campaign had $3.5 million, according to the most recent campaign finance reports. Trump praised Whatley throughout the speech. In his brief remarks before Trump took the stage, Whatley mentioned Trump’s name repeatedly. “President Trump needs an ally who will work to reduce costs, protect our families and preserve the American dream,” he said. One of the speakers preceding Trump was Attorney General Todd Blanche. Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesPolls show that crime is not a top concern for most voters across the United States. Crime and security have consistently trailed the economy, threats to democracy and health care in NBC News surveys of American adults who were asked to name the issue that mattered most to them over the past year. But Trump and North Carolina Republicans see crime as a vulnerability for Cooper. Trump dedicated part of his speech to a 23-year-old Ukrainian woman, Iryna Zarutska, who was stabbed to death last year on a commuter train in Charlotte. “You worked your whole life for everything you have,” Trump said. “You saved your money, you followed the law and now Roy Cooper and his gang of communists want to take everything you have and give it to people who would rob your house, invade your border and just shoot you to death.” Supporters in Gastonia take photos as Trump speaks. Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty ImagesTrump also used the speech to reassure voters burdened by high fuel costs. Gas prices have skyrocketed since the Trump administration and Israel launched an attack on Iran on February 28. The price increase is temporary, Trump said. “It’s a very cheap price to pay for what we’ve done,” he said. “Remember that. It’s a little more. Frankly, even if it were a lot more. But that’s going to collapse. It’s going to be like a rocket ship in reverse.”
