Trump talks Supreme Court, economy and lifting COVID-19 restrictions at Greenville rally

GREENVILLE, Pitt County — President Donald Trump made a quick campaign stop in eastern North Carolina on Thursday, hosting an afternoon rally at the Pitt-Greenville Airport.

The president's speech included topics such as negotiations with China, protecting police and his Supreme Court nomination. He spent a large portion of the speech discussing Amy Coney Barrett -- saying that if he is not elected, Joe Biden's pick could have "radical left" philosophies.

"I wasn't going to put a radical left person like he's going to put," he said. "He's got to give a list by the way, not only can he not pack the court which would be horrible, horrible for our country and institution, but he's got to give us a list that he will only pick from."

If Barrett is appointed to the seat formerly held by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, there would be a 6-3 ratio of conservative to liberal justices on the high court.

While the crowd cheered throughout the president's address, perhaps the strongest cheers came in response to his comment about the state's COVID-19 restrictions.

"I hope he opens it back up," said rallygoer John Allen of Wilmington. "This pandemic has hurt so many people."

Calls for election came from a crowd anxious for an economic upturn -- a sentiment President Donald Trump echoed.

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"Normal life!" Trump said. "That's what we want. We want normal; we want to get back to where we were nine months ago."

The president promised an end to the economic shutdown.

"You vote for me, prosperity is happening, already it's happening," he said. "It's happening so fast no one can believe it."

Also promising an end to coronavirus.

"Under my leadership, we're developing vaccines, vaccines and therapies and all of those things," he explained.

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In his speech, the president used his own recent COVID-19 recovery as proof.

"I'm working to make the antibody treatment that I received available to anyone who wants it that has a problem," he said. "Free, and it's free because it wasn't your fault."

Trump claimed that his opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden, cannot promise the same.

"This election is about many things," he added, "but it's about a Trump recovery and a Biden depression."

For a crowd of parents frustrated at school shutdowns, President Donald Trump promised an end to that, too.

"It does harm the children," Allen said of the closures. "They need the interaction with each other. It's how they learn."

Leaving his constituents with a final message in this swing state -- Trump stressed the importance of getting out the vote.

"Get your friends, get your family, get your neighbors and get out and vote," he said. "The red wave is coming!!"

The president also called himself "not your typical Washington politician," assuring North Carolinians that his atypical methods would bring about change.