Former President Donald Trump spoke at the North Carolina GOP Convention via a speakerphone call, expressing his gratitude for the support from North Carolinians and vowing to win in the state for a third time. Trump’s call was initiated by his son Eric Trump, who was on stage with his wife Lara Trump, the RNC co-chair. The couple emphasized the changes within the national Republican Party under Lara Trump’s leadership and stressed the importance of getting Donald Trump back in office. Lara Trump described the current political landscape as a battle between good and evil rather than a partisan divide.
The Trumps’ speech at the North Carolina GOP Convention comes a year after Donald Trump’s appearance at the party’s 2023 convention, shortly after facing his first criminal indictment. Since then, Lara Trump has become the RNC’s co-chair, leading fundraising efforts alongside new RNC chair Michael Whatley. Both Whatley and Lara Trump aim to revitalize the party and secure Donald Trump’s victory in the upcoming election. The RNC has undergone significant changes in staffing and fundraising since the Trumps’ rise to leadership positions, with a focus on supporting Trump amidst legal challenges.
Lara Trump, in her role as RNC co-chair, presented the party’s strategies for winning the 2024 election to the convention attendees. She urged Republicans to turn out in large numbers and emphasized the importance of early voting, including by mail-in ballots, a method previously criticized by Trump. Lara Trump encouraged the crowd to ensure the election is “too big to rig” by actively engaging in the voting process. The couple also criticized the Biden administration, particularly on issues such as immigration and inflation, promising to lead Trump’s campaign to victory by November and make America great again starting in North Carolina.
In addition to the Trumps’ speech, other prominent conservatives were scheduled to address the Greensboro convention, including former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, and North Carolina Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson. The convention provided a platform for Republican leaders to rally support for the party’s agenda and candidates leading up to the upcoming election. As Lara Trump takes on her new role within the RNC, delegates expressed optimism about the party’s direction under her leadership and its potential to bring about positive change following previous challenges faced by the party. The convention served as a unifying event for Republicans in North Carolina, highlighting their commitment to supporting their candidates and values in the ongoing political landscape.
