'Every American was safer': Trump, Vance address national security in Asheboro speeches

Former President Donald Trump stood outside an aviation museum Wednesday and cast himself as the only presidential candidate who has the national security experience to guide foreign policy and international relations.

“Four years ago, our country was strong and respected like never before,” he told supporters in Asheboro. “Our allies admired us, our enemies feared us, because everyone knew that. As an American President, I was all about putting America first. That's true. Under my leadership, we rebuilt the United States military, created Space Force, and we made our allies pay their fair share and their fair dues.”

He added: “Every American was safer” during his time as president.

The former president has more foreign policy experience than Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee, but has attracted criticism among former intelligence and national security officials for isolationist policies and for appearing to cozy up to leaders of foreign adversaries. Before this year’s primary elections, Trump’s former national security advisor called Trump’s style of governance a threat to national security.

Trump was also charged with endangering national security by taking classified military documents after losing the 2020 election to Joe Biden. The government’s case against Trump was dismissed last month by a Trump-appointed federal judge. The U.S. Department of Justice under Biden is seeking to reinstate the charges.

Most Republicans are expected to support Trump in November. But the visit to Asheboro comes as Democrats and former Republicans who oppose Trump seek to woo national security-minded unaffiliated voters and Republicans in a state with some of the nation’s biggest military installations.

Trump spoke outside of the North Carolina Aviation Museum & Hall of Fame as part of his campaign’s first outdoor rally since July 13, when a Pennsylvania man tried to assassinate him. He spoke from behind protective glass, which was erected in front of the podium. Trump strayed from behind the glass twice: to shake hands with local sheriffs, and to check on a woman in the audience who appeared to have fainted during his speech.

Trump’s wide-ranging speech covered a variety of foreign policy and traditional national security topics, but it also expanded the scope by delving into immigration and economic policy. Among the themes:

The U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan: Trump said he agreed with the withdrawal of Afghanistan but claimed he would have done it in a way that avoided the loss of American lives. If reelected, Trump said he would demand the resignations of everyone in charge of withdrawal operations.

The southern U.S. border: Trump criticized Democrats for not securing the border. He referenced speakers at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, saying: “They don’t talk about the border … They talk about me more than any other category.” Trump lamented that his campaign advisors discouraged him from responding to speeches made Tuesday night by former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama. “Do I still have to stick to policy?” Trump asked jokingly.

Israel and the Middle East: Trump accused Biden and Harris of ignoring Iran and its involvement in terrorism in the region. Trump claimed that the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7 “never would have happened” if he were president.

The Russia-Ukraine war: Trump said of Russia’s war with Ukraine: “We’re going to get that stopped.” Addressing criticism that he’s too friendly with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump falsely claimed to have halted construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which is now inoperable because of an explosion in 2022.

Trump also criticized the Biden administration’s strategy for saving hostages abroad.

As part of a deal that prompted Iran to release five American hostages, the Biden administration in 2023 allowed Iran to access $6 billion in oil revenues that had been frozen under U.S. sanctions. The administration later blocked access to the money following the Hamas attack on Israel.

Referring to the original $6 billion deal, Trump said when money is exchanged “a lot of people are going to get kidnapped because they say ‘We're dealing with stupid people.’"

Speaking broadly, Trump claimed to have good relationships with some of the nation’s adversaries.

“It’s good to get along with these countries,” Trump said, adding later that “I talked this world out of a lot of wars with telephone calls. I don’t have to send in the troops.”

Michael Tyler, communications director for the Harris campaign, said Trump’s relationships with adversaries makes voters uneasy.

“The American people, when they're looking for who's going to serve as the next commander in chief, want somebody with a seriousness of purpose and the ability and the temperament to handle complex global situations,” Tyler told WRAL News in a phone interview prior to Trump’s speech. “There's only one candidate capable of doing that, and that's Vice President Harris.”

Republican leaders have sought to boost Trump by knocking Biden. In remarks Wednesday, Vance questioned Harris' handling of the southern border with Mexico. Vance also said Trump will help ensure the U.S. isn't economically reliant upon China, pointing to economic security as a national security issue.

And as Democrats are now seeking to play up the role Harris has played in Biden’s administration on issues including foreign policy — an arena in which the former U.S. senator and state attorney general from California has less experience — Republicans are likewise seeking to tie her to their criticisms of Biden.

"If we don't have safety for our families, if we don't have security for our country, we don't have anything,” Vance said Wednesday before Trump took the stage. “And I'm a firm believer that when we talk about national security, national security starts right here in the great state of North Carolina, and there's been no greater area where Kamala Harris has failed to deliver peace than at the American Southern border.”

A top Biden administration official, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, told WRAL in advance of Trump’s Asheboro speech that he has watched Harris engage in foreign policy in her role as vice president. He said she’s done a good job helping rebuild relationships with world leaders who became more cautious of the U.S., following Trump’s presidency.

“I've sat at her side as she engaged leaders from around the world, and has done a lot already to restore the respect for the US that was badly undermined during the Trump years,” Buttigieg said. “And that's going to be especially important in things like defending democracy against the aggression of Vladimir Putin.”

A Pew Research Center survey in 2023 found America’s image in foreign countries has substantially improved since Biden took over for Trump — and not just in Europe, but also Asia, Africa and South America.

Immigration as national security risk

As Trump seeks to return to office, he has sought to engage voters by broadening the scope of national security — which traditionally has focused on foreign policy issues — to include immigration enforcement at the country’s Southern border. For instance, Trump falsely claimed last year that Islamist terrorists are “pouring” across the border.

“He tries to make immigration the No. 1 national security risk,” Meredith College political science professor David McLennan said. “He talks about it as being more significant than any international foe that we might think about. So he talks about drugs coming across the border, gangs coming across the border, ISIS coming across the border.”

Immigration is a key issue for conservative voters; a WRAL News poll in March found it was the single biggest issue for Republicans this year, beating out the economy for the top spot.

Vance hammered home the theme during his remarks Wednesday: “If we give Kamala Harris a promotion and make her the president of the United States, the southern border is going to look like Walmart on Black Friday,” Vance said. “No fun at all.”

It’s possible that GOP officials are trying to take an issue their base is highly engaged in and tie it to national security — an issue some Trump opponents see as one of his biggest weaknesses.

“Among his supporters, that's national security,” McLennan said of Trump’s immigration talking points.

Former Republican strategist Rick Wilson, who has become one of the nation’s leading “Never Trump” voices through his group The Lincoln Project, told WRAL earlier this month his group is preparing to start targeting what he calls “national security Republicans” in North Carolina. The state has an above-average population of veterans; Fayetteville and Jacksonville are home to two of the world’s largest military bases in the U.S. Army’s Fort Liberty and the U.S. Marine Corps’ Camp Lejeune.

The Lincoln Project messaging, Wilson said, will be aimed at veterans and fans of Reagan-era foreign policy with ads about Trump’s isolationist foreign policy stances, relationship with Putin and his comments about veterans.

Trump has repeatedly been accused of mocking or criticizing veterans killed in action or taken prisoner, including by former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly. Most recently Trump downplayed the Congressional Medal of Honor, saying that since many soldiers who receive it are dead or maimed, it pales in comparison to a different award that’s often given to celebrities, athletes and politicians.

Tyler, the Harris campaign spokesperson, said Trump’s actions show he’s willing to endanger national security if it helps him personally. Tyler said Trump used his political influence over Republicans in Congress to kill a border security bill — solely because it might have helped Democrats on the campaign trail this year.

“When we had a bipartisan border security package in the Senate that was ready to go, that President Biden was going to sign into law, one person entered and said, ‘Don't do this’ [and] blew up the process because he thought it benefited himself politically. That was Donald Trump,” Tyler said.

Trump's record as president

Trump’s one term as president was notable for the departures he took from standard U.S. foreign policy. He was a frequent critic of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and he has indicated that if reelected he will pull the U.S. out of NATO — unless European members of the alliance pay more money into its operations.

“[Trump] pushed the Europeans to take more responsibility for their own defense, so the United States would not have to pay for a bunch of freeloaders,” Vance said Wednesday. “We ought to focus on our own security, not subsidize European welfare. They can take care of themselves.”

The dissolution of NATO is considered a key goal of Putin. So, too, is Trump’s repeated indication that he might end U.S. aid to Ukraine if he returns to the White House, amid that country’s invasion by Russia.

In the early days of Trump’s presidency, he faced criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike after allegedly revealing highly classified military intelligence to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Kislyak. Trump was also pressured into firing his first national security advisor, retired Gen. Michael Flynn, for Flynn lying about separate conversations he had with Kislyak. Flynn later pleaded guilty to a felony as part of the probe into Trump’s Russian ties by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort was also convicted as part of that probe. Trump pardoned both men after losing the 2020 election.

Vance said Trump “kept Russia in check.”

“Under Kamala Harris, Putin invaded Ukraine,” Vance said. “But under Donald Trump, Putin didn't do a damn thing, and that's because of strong leadership. People respected him.”

In the Middle East, Trump presided over military actions that led to the deaths of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani. The latter assassination was praised by foreign policy hawks; it has also coincided with Iran becoming more aggressive in backing attacks against international shipping via its allies in the Yemen-based Houthi movement, and also against U.S. ally Israel via Hamas, the Iranian-backed group that rules the Gaza Strip.

Trump also signed a peace treaty with the Taliban during his final year in office, paving the way toward the eventual withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan during Biden’s first year in office — an act that saw the end of America’s 20-year-long military presence in the country. The withdrawal also drew criticism as being rushed and chaotic, particularly after suicide bombers killed 13 U.S. military members and dozens of Afghan civilians during the final days of America’s military presence there.

McLennan said he’ll be interested to watch whether Harris focuses on other issues as she goes up against Trump for the presidency, or if she leans into highlighting their differences on foreign policy. Harris is expected to accept the Democratic Party’s nomination for president during this week’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

“Biden had some problems with the military because of the Afghanistan withdrawal and some other topics,” he said. “Harris tends to not be very vocal, and that's what I'm watching for in her nomination acceptance speech: Does she talk at all about national security? Or is she going to give Trump that space?”

Laura Leslie, Jack Hagel and Brian Murphy of the WRAL state government team contributed reporting.