Trump And Vance To Deliver Remarks In North Carolina Shortly

Former President Donald Trump and his VP nominee, Senator JD Vance (R-OH), are shortly due to deliver remarks on his national security platform in Asheboro, North Carolina. Livestream

• The event will be Trump's second stop in North Carolina in a week and third in less than a month, a sign that Vice President Kamala Harris' ascent to the top of the Democrat ticket has brought NC back into play as a swing state. Sabato's Crystal Ball yesterday moved the state from 'lean-Republican' to 'toss-up', reflecting Harris' recent strength.
• Trump is expected to focus on immigration and border security, two areas the GOP believes Harris is vulnerable, particularly considering her role in managing the root causes of migration in Central America.
• Trump is also likely to argue that the economy is weaker than many metrics have suggested, in light of today's revised jobs data. The argument may carry additional weight, as the Biden administration has regularly touted strong jobs data as evidence of economic resilience.
• Trump said in Michigan yesterday: “There has been a report that the job numbers over the last period of time were fraudulent. That’s a terrible insult to our economy because we were seeing numbers that were OK, but not great, now we’re seeing numbers that — when they’re adjusted — are a disaster.”
• Politico notes: "The Labor Departmentshaved 514,000 jobs off the totals reported in monthly estimates at the height of Trump’s term. But the former president’s claims of fraud will amplify a commonly held perception that the economy is weaker than many metrics suggest."