ROCKY MOUNT, N.C.—A day after President Joe Biden appeared to call supporters of former President Donald Trump “garbage,” Democrat nominee Vice President Kamala Harris urged Americans to “stop pointing fingers at each other” during a campaign stop in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Oct. 30.
At the same time, Trump held a rally in Rocky Mount, which is located about 54 miles east of the battleground state’s capital city.
He called his supporters the “heart and soul” of the country and said that “this election is a choice between whether we will have four more years of gross incompetence and failure, or whether we’ll begin the greatest four years of the history of our country.”
Introduced in Raleigh by a former Republican voter who had previously backed Trump, Harris courted conservatives reluctant to support the former president.
“We know we have an opportunity in this election to turn the page on a decade of Donald Trump, who has been trying to keep us divided and afraid of each other,” the vice president said.
Harris said that she will “represent all Americans,” including those who don’t vote for her. “The vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us,” she said.
Harris said Trump is focused on revenge and personal interests while she will put country over party.
“If he is elected, on day one Donald Trump will walk in with an enemies list,” she said. “When I am elected, I will walk in with a to-do list, full of priorities I will get done for you, the American people.”
In Raleigh, Harris did not mention Biden’s comments during an Oct. 29 campaign call organized by Hispanic advocacy group Voto Latino.
Chastising Trump’s Oct. 27 rally at Madison Square Garden at which a comedian referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage,” Biden said: “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters.
“His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American. It’s totally contrary to everything we’ve done, everything we’ve been.”
During an Oct. 30 news briefing at the White House, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that Biden was talking about the comedian’s comments and not Trump supporters as a group.
In Rocky Mount, Trump reminded the audience of when then-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton called his supporters “a basket of deplorables” in 2016.
“Joe Biden finally said what he and Kamala really think of our supporters; he called them garbage, and they mean it, even though, without question, my supporters are far higher quality than Crooked Joe Biden,” Trump said.
“My response to Joe and Kamala is very simple. You can’t lead America if you don’t love Americans, and you just can’t be president if you hate the American people, and there’s a lot of hatred.”
In 2008, Barack Obama became the first Democrat presidential candidate to win North Carolina in 30 years. Trump prevailed in 2016 and then edged Biden by 1.3 percent of the vote in 2020.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat who has served in the post since 2017, spoke in Raleigh before Harris took the stage, as did state Attorney General Josh Stein, who is running for governor against Republican nominee Mark Robinson.
A FiveThirtyEight average of polls on Oct. 30 showed Trump with a slight lead over Harris, at 48.3 percent to 47.2 percent.
According to the state elections board, more than 3.1 million people in North Carolina have already cast ballots during early voting, which ends on Nov. 2.
The western portion of the state was severely affected by flooding and mudslides from Hurricane Helene, displacing many residents.
The mountains of western North Carolina are considered a Republican stronghold.
The 25 counties that compose the disaster area have 1.3 million registered voters.
In Rocky Mount, Trump praised the early voting turnout in North Carolina and encouraged Republicans to “just go out and vote.”
Earlier on Oct. 30, before departing for her day of rallies, Harris was asked about Biden’s “garbage” comment.
“Listen, first of all, I think he clarified his comments, but let me be clear: I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for,” she said.
Harris was then asked whether she was concerned that voters would be offended.
“I’m sincere with what I mean; when elected president, I will represent all Americans, including those who don’t vote for me, and address their needs and their desires,” she said.
Trump told audience members in Rocky Mount that Harris and Democrats have insulted Republicans “for the past nine years.”
“They’ve bullied you, they’ve demeaned us, they’ve demonized us and censored us, and weaponized the power of our own government against us,” Trump said.
“Kamala and her party have called us racists, bigots, fascists, deplorables, irredeemable Nazis, and they’ve called me Hitler.”
Trump said his father told him to “never use the word Nazi” and “never use the word Hitler.”
“Now we’re called Nazis, and I’m called Hitler. I’m not Hitler,” the former president said.
Trump vowed to end inflation, “stop the massive invasion of criminals into our country,” and “bring back a thing called the American dream.”
He also said he would return the United States to energy independence.
