WH out of town pool report #7/ Some rally highlights so far
- From
- David Smith
- Sent
- Wednesday, September 16, 2026 8:04 PM
Attorney General Todd Blanche is present. POTUS said: "A man that's represented me in the past, and he was a great lawyer - like great, great, great lawyer - and Todd Blanche is now the attorney general of the United States."
POTUS mocked Joe Biden for using an autopen. He criticised Roy Cooper again: "He tried to protest he's a moderate. He's not. He's a radical left weak person."
POTUS cited the case of Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee fatally stabbed on a Charlotte light rail train last year. He accused Cooper of releasing criminals and showed 80 mug shots on the big video screen.
POTUS compared Cooper to former Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis, citing the Willie Horton case. "Michael Whatley is the candidate of law and order... Michael Whatley's going to ban sanctuary cities."
He criticised Democrats: "In state after state Democrats have nominated radical communists.... North Carolina is going to prove America does not belong to those who hate it. America belongs to those who love it."
He referred to Democrats as "Dumocrats". He said the Trump administration is putting "record numbers" of dangerous offenders behind bars. He mentioned "border czar" Kamala Harris and the crowd booed. "What a terrible person. What a terrible job she did."
POTUS higlighted the national drop in violent crime. "With the help of our National Guard, we have restored public safety to our nation's capital."
POTUS said: "I didn't have to be here tonight... but I had a little free time, if you can believe it." POTUS claimed there are "a lot of people outside" and asked Whatley if he can get a bigger place next time.
At 8.01pm POTUS asked Whatley to come up and speak.
Rally is ongoing.
David Smith
Washington bureau chief
Guardian News & Media