Trump Revives Willie Horton Ad at North Carolina Rally for Whatley
Trump used the Willie Horton ad to attack Roy Cooper and frame crime as a central issue in the Senate race, while a mug-shot display drew criticism.
- On Wednesday, President Donald Trump revived a 1988 Willie Horton campaign ad during a rally at Gastonia Municipal Airport to attack Democratic former Governor Roy Cooper as soft on crime.
- Trump referenced the August 22, 2025, killing of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte commuter train to justify his rhetoric, citing Decarlos Brown Jr., who faced murder charges and had 14 prior cases in Mecklenburg County.
- Although Trump claimed Cooper cut deals with "radical activists" to release "some of the worst criminals," state corrections officials stated Brown was not released early or under Cooper's COVID-era prisoner-release settlement.
- Political strategists suggest the campaign ploy aims to energize Republican voters for November midterms; Emory University political scientist Andra Gillespie said Trump is "tapping into the anger to remind Republican voters of what he thinks their first principles are."
- Republicans face pressure to win swayable voters as Democrats push for Senate control in November midterms, while 2024 FBI crime data shows North Carolina ranked 19th for statewide violent-crime rates in a 50-state comparison.
101 Articles
101 Articles
Trump Very Proud Of His ‘Willie Horton’ Ads, Just Gonna Be Shouting The N Word Soon
Trump might as well add the lead story preview to his speeches: ‘The sweet young wife saw the evil written upon her husband’s face ... he knew his love had turned to murderous passion! ... Read MURDER THRILLS THE TWO-TIMING ROMEO!’While campaigning for the Republican US Senate nominee in North Carolina Wednesday, Donald Trump unveiled what he seems to think is a flawless strategy to help out Republicans in the midterm elections: Just lie and lie…
Trump’s ‘Willie Horton’ Moment Featured a Story White Nationalists Are Obsessed With
President Donald Trump painted a terrifying picture during his rally in North Carolina on Wednesday night. Standing on stage at Gastonia Municipal Airport, Trump offered a dramatic retelling of a brutal murder that took place in the state last August. Iryna Zarutska’s death made headlines around the country, but the killing that Trump weaved into the Republican Party’s midterm pitch has also emerged as a persistent fixation and rallying cry for …
Republicans are trying to bury Roy Cooper on crime. Will it work?
In President Donald Trump’s get-out-the-vote message to North Carolinians this week, he hammered Democratic Senate nominee Roy Cooper over his crime record during his two-term tenure as governor. It’s become a recurring theme for Republicans in the North Carolina Senate race, who are hoping to hold on to the battleground seat against one of the […]
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