WH out of town pool report #6/ Rally starts
- From
- David Smith
- Sent
- Wednesday, September 16, 2026 7:39 PM
Wearing a red 'USA' cap, a dark suit and a long red tie, POTUS walked on stage at 7.27pm as Lee Greenwood's 'God Bless the USA' boomed from loudspeakers. POTUS gave fist pumps and swayed his palms in time to the music. The crowd cheered and whooped. Some held up blue or red 'Making America safe again' signs.
POTUS began: "This is a special place. I love it. We're going to elect Michael Whatley, that's what we're going to do... I won this state six times including the primaries."
He described Whatley's Senate opponent Roy Cooper as a "murderer protector" and "radical left Democrat".
At 7.34pm a female protester was removed by law enforcement. POTUS said: "She's going home to mama. Her mother is watching at home right now on television, furious with her daughter."
POTUS urged supporters to "pretend I'm on the ticket because essentially I am".
The rally is ongoing and streaming here:
David Smith
Washington bureau chief
Guardian News & Media