Donald Trump returns to campaign trail in North Carolina, addressing GOP convention

WASHINGTON – Former President Donald Trump ventures back onto the campaign trail next month, addressing a Republican Party convention in a key swing state: North Carolina.

Trump is to speak at a June 5 dinner during that weekend’s North Carolina Republican Party state convention, according to the party’s website and Trump’s office.

North Carolina is central to Republican efforts to regain control of Congress in the 2022 elections. Trump carried the state in both of his presidential campaigns, each race being a close one.

The Tar Heel state has a pivotal Senate race next year to replace retiring Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C. Burr was one of the seven Republicans who voted to convict Trump after the House impeached the president on charges of inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters.

“We are honored to welcome President Trump to our convention as the Republican Party launches our campaign to retake Congress and the Senate in the 2022 midterms,” North Carolina Republican chair Michael Whatley said in a written statement.

Trump’s speech to the North Carolina Republicans will be closed press.

This will be Trump’s first extended political speech since an April 10 address to a group of Republican donors who gathered at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. In that speech, also closed to the press, Trump attacked Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and his former vice president Mike Pence, for refusing to support his protests of the 2020 election.

Trump’s last public speech was Feb. 28 to the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida. In those remarks, Trump vowed vengeance on the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach him over the riot designed to stop the counting on electoral votes that elected President Joe Biden.Trump has also talked about possibly running again for president in 2024.

While banned from Twitter and other social media, Trump has been busy issuing written statements attacking Biden as well as McConnell, Pence, and other Republicans who have disagreed with him.

Former President Donald Trump was banned from Facebook after his comments on the Capitol riots in January. (Photo: Getty)

That group includes Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., who last week was deposed as the third-ranking member in House Republican leadership. Cheney, one of the House Republicans to vote to impeach Trump, says Republicans should move past the former president and disavow his lies that the 2020 election was “stolen” by the Democrats.

“We have to recognize what it means for the nation to have a former president who has not conceded and who continues to suggest that our electoral system cannot function, cannot do the will of the people,” Cheney said on ABC News’ “This Week.”

She added: “I think it’s very important for Republicans who won’t be part of that to stand up and speak out.”

As he plans to resume public appearances, Trump has also talked about holding campaign-style rallies, but has yet to schedule any. 

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