Donald Trump returned to the campaign trail on Wednesday, appearing at a rally in North Carolina to support Republican Senate nominee Michael Whatley. Trump urged voters to "pretend I'm on the ticket" and to "crush the communists" in the upcoming November elections.
Trump stated that when he is on the ticket, Republicans have "always done really well." He told supporters, "I just want you to go out and pretend I'm on the ticket, because essentially I am." Whatley, a former Republican National Committee chair, is running against Democratic former governor Roy Cooper.
During the rally, Trump criticised the Federal Reserve, which raised its benchmark interest rate by a quarter-point on Wednesday, marking its first increase since 2023. The Fed indicated that the move was warranted due to persistent inflation. Trump called the central bank "very hostile" and its officials a "bunch of politicians," stating that interest rates were "too high."