Trump holds rally in North Carolina for midterm GOP candidates
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President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance announced a DOJ-run incentive program this afternoon that will offer tipsters money for helping root out fraud.
What to know today
- TRUMP RALLY IN N.C.: President Donald Trump held a rally this evening in Greenville, North Carolina, where the GOP Senate candidate, former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley, is trailing in recent polls against Democratic nominee Roy Cooper, the state's former governor.
- FRAUD TASK FORCE: Trump and Vice President JD Vance announced the launch of a Justice Department incentive program to try to root out fraud. The $25 million program will offer whistleblowers $30,000 for tips that lead to convictions or significant federal enforcement actions.
- DATA DIVE: NBC News chief data analyst Steve Kornacki examines Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins’ upset victory in 2020 after she trailed in the polls and what it can tell us about her close race this year against Democrat Troy Jackson in this week's subscriber-exclusive newsletter, The Data Dive.
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Trump muses about Ohio Sen. Jon Husted's physique at North Carolina rally
Trump gave a shoutout tonight to Sen. Jon Husted, a Republican who is in a tight race in Ohio. But instead of talking about Husted’s policies, Trump praised his body.
Trump recounted “studying” Husted’s body at an event in Ohio, at which former NFL coach Jon Gruden went to support Husted and, per Trump, told him they had been teammates.
“I’ve never studied the body of a man before. It’s not my thing. Nothing wrong with it, of course,” Trump said this evening. “But I looked at his ass, and then I looked at his legs, and I said, ‘His ass is like a pile of muscle.’ Then I looked at his legs, and I said, ‘Man, his feet are big.’ Then I looked at his shoulders, and I tapped him on the shoulder, and it actually hurt my hand. It was like a piece of steel.”
Trump made similar remarks Saturday in Kentucky, also making note of Husted’s jawline. Husted is running to keep the Senate seat he was appointed to fill after JD Vance became vice president.
Trump said tonight that “it’s never been my thing, to be honest with you,” regarding studying men’s bodies. However, he has made frequent remarks about GOP candidates’ looks in the run-up to the midterms. He has lavished praise on Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn.; Georgia GOP Senate candidate Mike Collins; and Georgia gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson, among others.
Some are not so fortunate. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for a period received near-constant criticism from Trump over his looks and style. Trump endorsed Paxton this year for a Senate seat in Texas.
Trump says Camp Lejeune victims will get settlements if Republicans win the midterms
Speaking in North Carolina tonight, Trump pledged to direct the Justice Department to settle the remaining cases for claims tied to contaminated water in a Marine Corps facility in the state — if the GOP wins both chambers of Congress in November.
“Tonight, I’m pleased to announce that my administration has delivered $1 billion in cash settlements to these veterans and their families, most of whom are based here,” Trump said. “If we win the House and the Senate, I am directing the Department of Justice to settle all remaining legitimate claims as soon as possible and get it off the books and get it finished.”
“If we don’t win, there’s no money. If we do win, you’re getting it, and it’s going to be finally over with that nightmare that’s been going on for so many years,” he added.
The settlements are tied to Camp Lejeune, a Marine Corps base that gave rise to one of the largest water contamination cases in U.S. history, in which up to 1 million people who lived or worked at the base from 1953 to 1987 may have been exposed to a tainted drinking water supply.
Trump’s remarks about the settlements come the same day that Attorney General Todd Blanche weighed in on X, denying impropriety regarding the settlement process after far-right activist Laura Loomer claimed the Justice Department was dragging its feet on reaching a settlement with victims.
Tonight's remarks by Trump are the latest in a series of promised perks that he said are contingent on Republicans' winning both chambers of Congress next month.
Voters in North Carolina accept Trump's promise that high prices are 'temporary'
Several voters at Trump's rally in Greenville, North Carolina, today told NBC News ahead of his remarks that while they're concerned about higher prices, they believe they're only a short-term burden.
"I am,” said Tammy Lynne from Pinehurst when she was asked whether she has experienced higher prices. “And I hate it for people, and I think it’s short-term.”
Lynne said Trump, whose war with Iran has led to higher oil prices, didn't bear full responsibility for soaring costs, saying it's "a lot of global forces that are affecting our economy and diesel fuel, and that’s not all in his hands.”
Trump has repeatedly said that the war will end soon and that the prices of oil and other products will quickly follow.
Jim Cox, another voter at the rally, said that "you have to look at the overall picture" on higher prices and that Trump is working to "rectify the situation."
“Price of fertilizers very high. Price of diesel fuel is very high. But again, that’s a temporary hiccup,” he said.
Wanda Lilley, a nurse in Martin County, defended Trump’s tariff policies when it came to price hikes.
"It is more expensive,” Lilley said. “In the long run, it’s going to bring more businesses back to the United States to increase our economy and to increase more jobs.”
Asked about Trump's promise to pay every American adult citizen $5,000 if Republicans win the House and the Senate next month, Cox said, "I’m all for it, but I don’t need it."
Cox, who wore a Michael Whatley pin, conceded that “it may be an uphill climb” for Whatley, the former Republican National Committee chair, to defeat former Gov. Roy Cooper in the Senate race. Still, Cox said, "it may be closer than we think,” citing a lack of trust in the polls.
Trump keeps promising ‘goodies’ on the campaign trail — but only if Republicans win
Five-thousand-dollar payments for American adults. A Defense Department investment in a local manufacturing facility. And “more goodies” on the way.
Such promises have become a staple of Trump’s campaign trail blitz. And he’ll make good on all of them, he says — but only if voters keep Republicans in charge of Congress in next month’s midterm elections.
Trump brings Senate candidate Michael Whatley onstage in North Carolina
Anna Moneymaker / Getty
Trump brought GOP Senate candidate Michael Whatley onstage at tonight's rally, weeks after a top Republican super PAC diverted resources away from his race, which NBC News characterizes as “Likely Democrat.”
Whatley is running against former Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat.
Trump also brought up Jennifer Balkcom, the Republican candidate running to replace embattled Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., who said he would not seek re-election after the House Ethics Committee recommended he be censured over sexual harassment allegations that he denies.
Trump announces new manufacturing plant, federal spending in North Carolina
Trump told the crowd in North Carolina tonight that a large manufacturing plant would be built in the state, alongside a $1.5 billion investment toward its production of "cutting-edge semiconductor chips."
"We have the companies coming in at levels never seen before," Trump said, adding that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has worked with companies that "want to move back in because of the tariffs and because of us."
Lutnick joined Trump onstage and announced that one deal includes the construction of a manufacturing plant by Sibelco, but he provided few details.
"So the president had as one of his fundamental objectives was to bring semiconductor manufacturing home to America, right?" Lutnick said. "It's all made in Taiwan, right? And that's just too far away for America. So he's bringing it home."
Lutnick said Sibelco processes quartz. "It is the basically the foundation of semiconductors, and they're going to build it right here in North Carolina," he said.
Trump then said the Defense Department would invest "$1.5 billion to produce cutting-edge semiconductor chips right here in North Carolina."
Trump has made similar announcements at his other midterm rally appearances in recent weeks, including a major investment from South Korea to build a gas pipeline in Alaska. However, Seoul indicated shortly after his announcement that the plan wasn't yet official.
Bill Clinton makes first public campaign appearance ahead of midterms to stump for David Jolly
Former President Bill Clinton made his debut on the midterm campaign trail tonight, joining Florida gubernatorial candidate David Jolly onstage in Hollywood, Florida.
Stumping for Jolly and his running mate, Gwen Graham, Clinton argued that Floridians need to back a candidate who will unite them.
"If you elect them, we can begin to turn the page to live with and grow together, not apart, to start behaving like the state and the country we ought to be," Clinton said. "Look, we know better than all this performance act politics, don't we? We know it's just a load of bull, and we know it's gotten us in big trouble."
Clinton, 80, also made a joke about his age, saying, “I will say that one blessing of being 80 is you can say whatever you want.”
Throughout his speech, Clinton took some extended pauses, and his left hand was visibly shaking.
Clinton also criticized Trump's construction projects at the White House and around Washington.
"I think Congress made a mistake not protesting turning the Rose Garden into what looks like the entrance to Liberace's bathroom," he quipped, referring to Trump's White House ballroom. "I was not opposed to having a bigger dining space, although we did pretty well with 10 state dinners."
He also denounced Trump's plans to use even more money to build a 250-foot arch.
"Try to justify building a model of the Arc de Triomphe that's better than the original and saying I have to do this because I want to store drones in there," Clinton said, referring to Trump's claims that the arch will also be used as a military complex.
Trump says he'll be back in North Carolina next week
Trump told rallygoers in North Carolina that he expects to return to the state next week as part of his campaign blitz in the final sprint to Election Day.
“We have, like, 15 days, and I’m doing about 18 rallies. That’s work. That’s work, but it’s not work in front of North Carolina,” Trump said.
Former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley is running for the Senate against former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat. NBC News rates the race as "Likely Democrat."
Protesters interrupt Trump at North Carolina rally
Protesters interrupted Trump at his rally tonight in North Carolina; two were escorted out.
Security officers escort a protester out as President Donald Trump speaks at a midterm campaign rally in Greenville; N.C. Protesters have interrupted Trump's speeches at other campaign rallies. Kent Nishimura / AFP via Getty
Trump, who has frequently been interrupted at his rallies during his push to boost candidates ahead of the midterms, alleged the protesters got “paid” and insulted one of them, calling the person “fat.”
Michael Bloomberg offers up $80 million in boost for Democratic House candidates
Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has given or pledged $80 million to help elect Democratic candidates in the midterm elections.
Bloomberg's sizable donations will primarily be aimed at securing Democratic seats in the House. A large chunk of the funding will specifically go to Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun violence prevention organization he co-founded.
The New York Times first reported details about the donations today. A Bloomberg spokesperson confirmed the reporting to NBC News.
“With so much at stake, we are laser focused on our top priority: flipping the House," Stacey Radnor, a spokesperson for Everytown, told NBC News in a statement.
Bloomberg has largely focused his generous donations on House seats, rather than the Senate. In 2018, he gave a hefty $95 million to groups working to flip the House.
Everytown is prioritizing eight House races: JoAnna Mendoza's in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, Pia Dandiya's in Florida’s 22nd Congressional District, Lindsay James' in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, Sarah Trone Garriott's in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet's in Michigan’s 8th Congressional District, Christina Hines' in Michigan’s 10th Congressional District and Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti's in Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District.
Radnor said the group is specifically backing congressional candidates who are Moms Demand Action volunteers, referring to Everytown's grassroots movement promoting gun safety.
"Our volunteers know their communities, know what it takes to keep our families safe, and know why they’re in this fight," she said.
According to Everytown, 86% of the candidates running from the group won in their 2026 primaries. Since the program launched in 2021, more than 600 volunteers from 43 states have won elections; six are serving in Congress.
CNN tells White House to restore its access to Air Force One and Oval Office or face further legal action
Attorneys for CNN sent a letter to the Trump administration yesterday, demanding the White House restore the news organization’s access to Air Force One and the Oval Office or face more legal action.
“If the White House has an unstated policy of excluding CNN from the Oval Office and Air Force One as punishment for its reporting, that retaliatory and viewpoint-discriminatory policy would violate the Due Process Clause and the First Amendment for the same reasons underlying the district court’s October 13 preliminary injunction ruling,” attorney Ted Boutrous wrote to the Justice Department and White House counsel Will Scharf in a letter obtained by NBC News.
“That is because those spaces belong not to any particular president or administration but to all Americans, and CNN and other members of the press serve as surrogates for the public when covering the White House,” Boutrous added.
CNN has been barred from “fully performing its pool duties and has been denied access to Air Force One each time CNN has been scheduled to do so—no fewer than four times to date,” Boutrous wrote.
He said the White House has provided no written notice and offered no explanation for preventing CNN from fulfilling its White House television pool duties.
“Prior to the President’s Truth Social post on September 18, 2026, announcing that he was 'banning' CNN from the White House 'as a result of' its 'reporting,' CNN consistently had the same access to the spaces where presidents interact with the press as the other members of the White House Television Pool.”
Attorneys for CNN say that it is their “desire” to reach a resolution outside of the judicial process but that if access issues persist, “CNN will have no choice but to return to the court to defend its rights, and it is prepared to fight as long as is necessary to secure them.”
The White House doubled down in a statement to NBC News when it was asked about the letter.
“No person and no journalist has a constitutional right to access to the President’s Oval Office, Air Force One, or other sensitive and private facilities,” a White House official told NBC News. “When publications lie, fabricate, and ignore the truth, proximity matters less and they can write their fiction from outside of these secure facilities.”
CNN was scheduled to serve as White House travel pool as recently as last Friday — but its journalists were not allowed on Air Force One for Trump’s trip to Georgia.
When Trump barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House grounds last month, the five major TV networks that make up the television pool, including NBC News, responded by declining to provide pool coverage for four days initially and then on two subsequent occasions when CNN was blocked from performing its pool duties: Sept. 25, when it was blocked from traveling on Air Force One for Trump’s trip to Tennessee, and on Sept. 30-Oct. 1, when it was blocked from traveling on Air Force One with Trump to a series of events in Oklahoma and Texas.
That meant there was limited video coverage of Trump for several days, including coverage of his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping and his travel to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.
In addition, Politico was blocked from traveling on Air Force One on Oct. 5, making it unable to fulfill its print pool duties.
Last year, The Associated Press filed similar legal action against what is being threatened here. When the AP refused to call the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America,” the Trump administration blocked print reporters from the AP from accessing Oval Office events and traveling with Trump on Air Force One for a period of time.
A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from carrying out what he referred to as “unlawful retaliation,” but a federal appeals court paused his ruling while it further considered the case. Oral arguments before the appeals court were heard in November. A ruling has yet to be issued.
More than 1,000 medical professionals in Michigan sign letter endorsing Abdul El-Sayed
More than 1,000 Michigan medical professionals signed a letter supporting Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed.
The letter, which was organized by the physician-led advocacy group Committee to Protect Health Care, was released today following the latest Michigan Senate debate, at which El-Sayed's opponent, Republican Mike Rogers, challenged his medical credentials.
“Not only is Dr. Abdul El-Sayed a doctor, he is a certified health care champion, while his opponent, Mike Rogers, is a threat to our patients’ health,” said Dr. Rob Davidson, executive director of the Committee to Protect Health Care and an emergency physician in west Michigan.
Trump also challenged El-Sayed's credentials at a rally in Kansas last night.
The majority of signers of the letter are physicians. It says El-Sayed “has dedicated his career to protecting public health and expanding access to care for Michiganders.”
“This Senate race will help decide whether Congress has a majority that puts patients first, or one that continues to make our jobs harder and our patients’ care more expensive and less accessible,” the letter reads. “We have treated patients under both kinds of Congresses. We know which one serves the people in our exam rooms.”
Trump says he's talking to Putin about freeing a U.S. citizen jailed in Russia
Trump told reporters today that he has been talking to Russian President Vladimir Putin “at length” and has asked for Stephen James Hubbard, a U.S. citizen, to be released from a Russian prison.
“Let’s see what happens. I’d love to get him back,” Trump said in the Oval Office in response to a question about Hubbard. “It’s time to have Mr. Hubbard back.”
Russian prosecutors sentenced Hubbard to almost seven years in prison in October 2024, alleging he served as a mercenary in Ukraine’s army, Reuters reported. Hubbard, 74, of Michigan, was living at the time in Izyum, a city in eastern Ukraine. Russian soldiers detained him on April 2, 2022, according to a Russian state news agency.
Hubbard’s sister and another relative disputed that he was serving as a mercenary for Ukraine, Reuters reported. They said he held pro-Russian views and was unlikely to have served in the military at his age.
Attack ad spreading online rattles Ohio governor’s race — and no one is taking credit for it
A video featuring the estranged mother of Amy Acton, the Democratic candidate for governor in Ohio, has sparked an acrimonious turn in the closing weeks of a nasty race.
In the minutelong video, which was obtained and first reported last night by The Rooster, a left-wing blogger in Ohio, a woman identified as Donna Arthur says she is Acton’s mother and describes Acton as a “liar.”
Trump warns Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar could be deported or go to jail
Trump warned that Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., who's the subject of a Justice Department investigation related to immigration, that she could be deported or sent to jail.
Asked in the Oval Office whether Omar could be deported, Trump said: "Oh, she could be. She could also go to jail."
"This is just my opinion. I think she’s a sick, a very dishonest person but who hates our country, and she comes from a country that is essentially not even a country, Somalia. It’s a real s----house," Trump added.
Later in his remarks, he said, "I hope they treat her fairly, but I think she’s a very dishonest person."
Federal officials recently searched Omar's Washington home, seizing her phone, and some of her relatives received subpoenas as part of the investigation.
The investigation has surprised former Justice Department employees, especially since it came with three weeks until Election Day.
Omar's office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about Trump's threats.
Trump says U.S. has 'gotten nothing back' from billions in aid to Ukraine
Trump said he wants the conflict between Ukraine and Russia to end soon, again expressing displeasure with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“We have given probably, possibly, more money to Ukraine than almost anybody over the years, hundreds of billions of dollars. We’ve gotten nothing back, and the American taxpayers are tired of it," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office today. "We want Zelenskyy to make a deal.”
According to the Council on Foreign Relations, as of the end of March, Congress had made $195 billion available to Ukraine related to the war.
Trump says he will ultimately determine who deserves federal fraud tipster money
Trump said this afternoon that he would have the ultimate say over who would receive money in exchange for sharing tips about federal government-related fraud.
"I am going to do something which I think people will like. I will be the arbitrator of all of these decisions. In other words, I’ll determine whether or not the person is deserving, and I’ll determine — and I will be very generous. Believe me ... we’re not looking to save on that," Trump said in the Oval Office.
Trump was announcing the launch of a $25 million program that would offer people who report fraud up to $30,000 if their information leads to successful fraud convictions or significant federal law enforcement action.
The White House had said the Justice Department would operate the program. It's unclear how Trump's claim that he would make the final decision about award recipients squares with the Justice Department's overseeing it. The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about that and where the money is coming from.
Democrats jump into Mississippi Senate race
Senate Democrats’ top super PAC announced today it is launching an ad campaign in the Mississippi Senate race as Democrats seek inroads in Republican-leaning states to try to flip the Senate majority.
Senate Majority PAC announced a $1.2 million ad campaign in the state through Election Day, beginning with a 30-second spot that boosts prosecutor Scott Colom as a Democrat who will “fight corruption in both parties” and casts GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith as a “do-nothing” incumbent.
Mississippi Democratic Senate candidate Scott Colom. Sarah Warnock / AP
The Data Dive: Steve Kornacki on how Susan Collins could transcend Trump in Maine
It was one of the most glaring and famous polling misses of recent times. As she sought a fifth term in 2020, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine trailed in every single survey that fall, lagging an average of 5.5 percentage points behind Democrat Sara Gideon. And yet, Collins ended up winning re-election with ease, posting a 9-point victory that stunned Democrats and Republicans alike.
Here we are six years later, and once again Collins is trailing. Five polls released this month have put her behind Democrat Troy Jackson. A sixth showed a tie. According to the RealClearPolitics average, Collins is trailing by 1.6 points. If anything, she’s actually faring better than she was in ’20. So is this all just the setup for another poll-defying Collins escape act? Or are there variables this year that could mean the polls are actually accurate?
Collins and Jackson debate last week. Gregory Rec / Portland Press Herald via Getty
‘I trusted you all’: Judges question Trump administration’s credibility
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes took the Trump administration at its word.
Overseeing a case involving Trump’s plans to renovate the historic East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, Reyes made it clear that she trusted Justice Department lawyers not to make significant changes to the property without giving proper notice to the court and the historic preservationists who had sued. She said she had no interest in becoming “Parks and Rec Supervisor.”
Miami Cuban bakery caught in political firestorm after hosting Hakeem Jeffries
A popular Cuban American bakery in the Miami area has found itself in the middle of a political controversy after it hosted a visit Friday by House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Eliott Rodriguez, the Democratic challenger to GOP Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar.
Rodriguez posted a video with Jeffries and Yvette Rodriguez Cao, the owner of CAO Bakery & Cafe who is not related to the candidate. Some on social media began lashing out at the bakery for hosting the Democrats, who they accused of being tied to socialism. And Salazar posted a photo of herself at Vicky Bakery, another popular Cuban American bakery that shares the same family roots as CAO but is now a separately owned business.
Florida Democratic Congressional candidate Eliott Rodriguez and Hakeem Jeffries,right, enjoy a Cuban coffee Friday at the CAO Bakery and Cafe. Joe Raedle / Getty Images
In response, Rodriguez Cao was forced to issue a statement, saying she did not know a news conference would be held in her bakery when the Rodriguez campaign first reached out and that “opening our doors was not an endorsement of any candidate, party or platform.”
“CAO stands with our Cuban American community for a free Cuba and condemns Socialism. That will never change,” the owner said in an Instagram post, adding that the business also does not discriminate against customers based on their political views.
In a statement, Rodriguez, the Democratic candidate, accused Salazar of trying to “destroy” CAO Bakery. Salazar had reposted critical stories about Jeffries’ visit to the bakery.
“I think it’s incredibly sad that in these tough economic times, my opponent is trying to destroy a small business by using her social media goons to attack a business that all they did was invite two non-socialists to have pastelitos and cafecito,” Eliott Rodriguez said.
More coverage from NBC6 Miami.
Vance declines to endorse Netanyahu after Trump offers full support for re-election
Vice President JD Vance declined to endorse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday, a day after Trump publicly backed Netanyahu as he seeks re-election this month.
“I’m not getting involved in the Israeli elections,” Vance said in an interview on Mark Halperin’s show “2WAY Tonight.”
“I’m not anti-endorsing him; I’m not pro-endorsing him,” Vance added.
Judge leans toward extending halt on tree clearing at golf course where Trump says redesign should start ‘immediately’
The judge presiding over a court fight involving Trump’s plans to redo a golf course on federal land indicated yesterday that she plans to extend her order blocking the administration from chopping down more trees at the site.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes said at the seven-hour hearing that she believes it’s likely necessary to extend her order because she has already found the government acted in “bad faith” when it abruptly chopped down over 400 trees at the course over the Columbus Day holiday weekend.
A golfer passes a stump at the East Potomac Golf Links. Mark Schiefelbein / AP
Trump and Vance to launch a $25 million fraud tips program
Trump and Vice President JD Vance will launch a $25 million program today to try to incentivize people to blow the whistle on fraud.
The program will offer eligible tipsters up to $30,000 if their information leads to a successful fraud conviction or a significant federal enforcement action and will be administered by the Department of Justice.
“Every day, President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud is zeroing in on the rampant abuse of taxpayer dollars and giving Americans the accountability they deserve," White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis said in a statement. "This administration has zero tolerance for individuals who steal from Americans.”
At the 1:30 p.m. announcement, Trump will present conservative influencer Nick Shirley with $10,000 for reporting on alleged fraud in Minnesota. The White House says his videos led to several arrests, investigations and charges in the state.
Fox News was the first to report the launch of the tips program.
Battleground state voters weigh who should oversee their elections
Voters in a handful of swing states will decide next month who will hold critical election oversight power during the next presidential contest.
Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and Nevada — which have all been critical battlegrounds in recent national elections — have secretary of state races on the ballot. A role that was once under the radar, these offices have become much more high profile amid a constant drumbeat of unfounded election fraud claims from Trump and his allies.
Trump uses antisemitic slur in defending Sen. Roger Marshall at rally in Kansas
Trump used an antisemitic slur last night in defending Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., after an article said he sued hundreds of patients over unpaid debts when he was a practicing physician.
Speaking at a campaign rally in Kansas, Trump said the reporting made Marshall, who is not Jewish, out to be “some kind of a shylock-type guy,” using a term widely recognized as offensive toward Jewish people.
Trump shakes hands with Sen. Marshall at the rally last night. Julia Demaree Nikhinson / AP
James Talarico and Ken Paxton hold a day of dueling rallies as Texas begins early voting
Senate candidates Ken Paxton and James Talarico closed out a day of campaigning in this battleground area yesterday, homing in on economic messages as Texans wrapped up their first day of in-person early voting in the state.
As polling shows the two locked in a statistical toss-up, Paxton and Talarico tapped headliners to rally with them. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. was the marquee speaker at an event for Paxton, the Republican state attorney general, that drew about 350 people inside the art deco T&P Station Wedding and Event Venue.
Paxton in Fort Worth yesterday. Shelby Tauber / Bloomberg via Getty
Talarico, a Democratic state House member, held a more robust event at North Crowley High School with three cast members of “Friday Night Lights,” the onetime popular show about a high school football team. Talarico drew a crowd of 1,450, according to a campaign official.
The two are crisscrossing the state in their final urgent pleas to voters. Talarico, a seminarian, is trying to become the first Democrat to win a statewide seat in Texas in three decades. He has leaned hard on his faith as he has campaigned as a different kind of voice in Texas.
Talarico at the University Of North Texas in Denton yesterday. Shelby Tauber / Bloomberg via Getty
Trump to rally in North Carolina today
Trump will travel to North Carolina today for another midterm rally, the latest in a string of campaign-related speeches.
Democrats are hoping to flip the North Carolina Senate seat, which is being vacated by retiring Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican. Former Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley is trailing in the polls against Democratic former Gov. Roy Cooper in the race.
Vice President JD Vance traveled to North Carolina to campaign for Republican candidates yesterday. Early voted started in the state last week.
Trump has been blitzing across the country as part of his efforts to turn out Republican voters, urging them to treat the elections as if he were on the ballot. Yesterday, the president traveled to Kansas, where Democrats are hoping to flip another Republican Senate seat.
Over the next several days, the president is traveling to South Carolina, Iowa, Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Texas. Iowa, Georgia, Michigan and Texas have especially notable battleground Senate races.
