President Donald Trump visited North Carolina to highlight his economic record, but his rally quickly veered into familiar tangents — including an odd aside about Melania Trump’s lingerie during a rant about the FBI’s 2022 Mar-a-Lago search.
While Trump did tout cooling inflation, lower drug prices, and defended rising unemployment as a result of firing government workers, much of his 90-minute speech drifted off-topic. He mocked political rivals, complained about investigations, criticized the media, reminisced about Hillary Clinton, and riffed on fashion, furniture, and his own health.
The crowd reacted enthusiastically to his unscripted moments, even as advisers worry his focus on grievances and free-flowing “weave” undercuts efforts to sell an economic message ahead of the midterms. Trump brushed off criticism, calling his style “controlled neurosis” — something he says gives him energy, even if it frustrates allies trying to keep him on message.