JD Vance says it would be 'very hard' for Trump to win without North Carolina

GREENVILLE, N.C. — Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, said on Saturday that it would be “very hard” for the Trump campaign to win in November if it does not hold on to North Carolina, a state former President Donald Trump won narrowly in 2020.

“It’s very hard for us to win unless we’re able to get North Carolina,” the vice presidential nominee told reporters on the tarmac of the Pitt-Greenville Airport following an unannounced visit to a college football game.

Vance predicted that his ticket would do well in the eastern and rural parts of the state, but emphasized the importance of voter turnout.

“We just want to remind people to actually get out there, make sure their voices are heard, because the only way we lose this race is that people don’t turn out,” Vance said.

He noted that he feels “very good” about their chances of winning the state.

The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Vance’s remarks. Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign also did not immediately return a request for comment.

Vance was also in North Carolina on Tuesday for a fundraiser, and he joined Trump in the state in late August.

Trump won North Carolina in 2020 with 49.9% of the vote, but President Joe Biden was close behind with 48.6%. The state has not voted for a Democratic presidential nominee since 2008, when Barack Obama beat Sen. John McCain by fewer than 20,000 votes.

A September Quinnipiac University poll conducted before Tuesday’s debate found that 49% of likely voters in North Carolina preferred Harris, while 46% preferred Trump. The results, which were within the poll’s margin of error, indicate a razor-thin race in a potentially decisive state.

Democrats have their eyes on North Carolina as a possible flip, funneling millions of dollars in advertisements with hopes of bolstering potential paths to 270 Electoral College votes.

Harris held two rallies in North Carolina this week, drawing roughly 25,000 spectators total across her stops in Greensboro and Charlotte.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, told NBC News in an interview on Thursday that Trump's campaign is "panicking" because "Trump has no other path to the presidency" that does not include the state.

"We did this in 2008. North Carolina voted for Barack Obama and made history," Cooper said. "North Carolina is ready to make history again."