Trump rallies in North Carolina, attacks state and Cooper

Former President Donald Trump held a rally in Gastonia, North Carolina, on Wednesday to boost Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley, but instead delivered a speech that attacked the state and its former governor, Roy Cooper, the Democratic nominee. Trump declared North Carolina "one of the most violent and one of the worst in the whole nation," blaming Cooper for a rise in crime and criticizing his response to Hurricane Helene. Trump claimed Cooper released "3,500 murderers and criminals" through a COVID-era prison settlement and linked the release to Decarlos Brown Jr., who is accused of murdering Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee. "The animal who murdered Iryna Zarutska should never have been on your streets," Trump said. However, the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction has stated that Brown was not released early under the settlement, and fact-checkers have noted that the release involved roughly 3,500 inmates, not "murderers." Regarding Hurricane Helene, which devastated western North Carolina in 2024, Trump said Cooper "did nothing" and credited Whatley with pushing him to deliver FEMA funding.