Donald Trump threatens to withhold North Carolina disaster aid

During a campaign rally in Gastonia, North Carolina, Donald Trump suggested that disaster aid for the state might be withheld if Republican U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley loses the upcoming election. Trump, who was endorsing Whatley, referenced the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, which killed over 100 people in the state. After stating, “Now if Michael loses, I’m not sending it, OK?”, Trump faced silence from the crowd before attempting to backtrack by claiming he was “only kidding.”

In the same speech, Trump characterized North Carolina as “one of the most violent and one of the worst in the whole nation.” These remarks drew criticism from local residents and state officials. Governor Josh Stein dismissed the comments as “political nonsense,” while crime data indicated that although North Carolina’s violent crime rate is above the national average, it has decreased by 4.3% from the previous year.