"To stop the far-left, you must vote in tomorrow's special election [...] Just recently, Mecklenburg County set free an illegal alien charged with first-degree rape and crimes against a child [...] Support for sanctuary cities is disloyalty to American cities and McCready wants sanctuary cities, with all of their protections for people who are serious criminals. Tomorrow is your chance to send a clear message to the America-hating left", Trump declared at the Fayetteville rally.
The North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE), in a statement, announced earlier that a new midterm contest would be held for a seat in the US House of Representatives representing the ninth congressional district. In November 2018, Republican Mark Harris led Democrat Dan McCready by 905 votes out of 282,717 ballots cast - less than one percent. Harris, however, was accused of hiring political operatives who forged mail-in ballots in two rural counties.
"We don't want dangerous criminal aliens roaming free in North Carolina [...] Our Republican candidate, Dan Bishop, will fight with everything he has", Trump continued.
During the political rally and after Bishop entered the stage delivering remarks slamming Democrats, the US president suddenly sought a doctor. “A doctor in the house, please [...] Water. Water”, Trump said. An attendee reportedly required medical attention, leading Trump to step in and halt the event for several minutes.
Bishop then urged the rally to pray for the individual, "because that's what we do. We pray", Bishop asserted.
Trump continued his rallying on the stage, blaming separately Democratic presidential candidates over proposed plans for healthcare and migration policies. Trump touted about progress in the economy, saying that "more than 7 million Americans have been lifted off of food stamps [...] nearly 600,000 Americans entered the labor force last month alone", an unsubstantiated claim, according to multiple sources.
As participants at the rally chanted "four more years!", Trump declared that "the labor force participation rate for women is at the highest level now in 15 years, and soon will be 35 years, and soon, I promise, will probably end up being better than ever".
Trump went so far as to comment on Obama-era efficiency standards for light bulbs that his administration finalized the reversal of last week.
"I'm not a vain person," Trump stated, adding, "But I look better under an incandescent light than these crazy lights that are beaming down”.
Several hours before the Fayetteville mass meeting, poor weather reportedly forced Trump to scrap an inspection of coastal North Carolina which was hit earlier by Hurricane Dorian. Instead, the US president was told about the effects of the deadly storm while staying aboard Air Force One, as Democratic Governor Roy Cooper described at least three deaths reportedly connected to the storm, and added that some 3,500 people remain without electricity.
At the Fayetteville political convention, Trump claimed that he had been willing to hold the North Carolina campaign rally in the rain, apparently joking that it would prove that his hair was not fake.
"I was even willing to stand out in the rain and get my hair soaking wet [...] But I was willing to do it. I would’ve taken it. I would’ve been very proud to have done it. It would have shown it’s my real hair at least [...] It’s my hair. May not be great, but I will say it’s better than most of my friends' who are the same age", Trump said, prompting laughter.
According to Fox News, the ninth congressional district has been held by Republicans since 1963. In 2016, Trump won the district by 11 percentage points. If McCready prevails or Bishop wins by a small amount on Tuesday, it may suggest that the Republicans are gradually losing popularity, alongside Trump, and raise questions about the viability of the incumbent president and his party for 2020, Fox News said.
