ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. — Former President Donald Trump took the stage Wednesday in Rocky Mount for what could be his final campaign stop in the state before Tuesday's election, making a last push for votes.

He spoke extensively on illegal immigration, criticized his political opponents, and outlined several key campaign promises, including imposing tariffs on foreign companies, tackling inflation, and pledging support for law enforcement.

In his first visit to the city during the 2024 election cycle, Trump rallied supporters at the Rocky Mount Event Center.

Fifty-five miles away in Raleigh, and half an hour before Trump, Vice President Kamala Harris addressed supporters at her own rally at Coastal Credit Union Music Park.

Trump’s crowd rose to their feet to cheer him as he took the stage, loudly chanting, “USA!”

“I’m thrilled to be back in this incredible state with thousands of proud, hardworking American patriots,” he said, “but I’d like to ask you one very simple, easy-to-answer question, are you better off now than you were four years ago?”

Trump said he would cut inflation, “stop the massive invasion of criminals into our country” and “bring back a thing called the American dream.”

Without offering evidence to back up broad accusations, the former president said this election was a choice between “gross incompetence, the most corrupt, horrible people,” — then adding, “oops ,we should get along with everybody” — or “whether we’ll begin the four greatest years in the history of our country.”

He went on to criticize Harris specifically, saying she has a “low IQ.” He also said that the vice president had failed to keep promises but is now saying she would fix the border. He then shifted to look at what he called “his favorite chart” showing illegal immigration statistics.

“Why didn’t she do all these things? … She’s trying to disassociate herself from sleepy Joe Biden,” he said.

Whenever Trump mentioned his opponent or her backers, the crowd booed loudly.

Trump said Harris spoke constantly about him and has “Trump derangement syndrome,” which “has inflicted havoc on some lives. But many Democrats suffer that disease and it’s only because of one reason, we’re winning.”

Trump criticized Biden for his comments on Trump supporters, saying “my supporters are far higher quality than crooked Joe or lying Kamala.”

Responding to comments made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who referred to Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, as an “island of garbage” during the Trump rally in New York, Biden was quoted as saying: “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable.”

Biden later posted a clarification on X, stating that he was referring to “the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed” by a single Trump supporter, Hinchcliffe, as garbage. The White House contended Biden had said “supporter’s,” not “supporters.”

Trump said that “the best way to have an election is very simple, paper ballots, voter ID, proof of citizenship” and one day of voting.

Biden won the presidential election in 2020 despite Trump’s persistent, unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud in the election. Trump turned attention to 2020 again on Wednesday, saying: “last time, we got more votes than any sitting president in the history of our country, but we lost, they say.”

North Carolina uses paper ballots, requires photo ID and requires voters to be citizens. Voting by noncitizens is illegal federally and is rare.

Most of the crowd cheered after Trump asked who has already voted, and less when he asked who still needed to vote. In the past, Republicans have shied away from early voting, but the party has encouraged it this election cycle.

Trump referenced new tariffs he favors on foreign goods, and lauded billionaire Elon Musk. He also said he’d end the war in Ukraine, “stop the chaos in the Middle East,” “take care of our police,” “get critical race theory and transgender insanity out of our schools,” keep the “right to bear arms” and modernize the military.

Trump also spoke extensively on illegal immigration and the need to kickstart deportations.

Speaking on immigrants who commit crimes while in the country without legal authorization, he said: “I’m going to protect the women, I’m going to protect the children and I’m going to protect the men. I’m going to protect everybody from these animals that have been unleashed into our country” from foreign countries, he said. Multiple videos on crime by immigrants were streamed on big screens at the rally.

Research indicates that crime rates and incarceration rates are typically higher among U.S.-born individuals compared to immigrants in the country without legal authorization.

He said he’d call for the death penalty for any migrant that kills an American citizen or a law enforcement official.

Trump also spoke about Hurricane Helene — which hit North Carolina in late September — saying that despite it taking “houses right off the foundations” and heavily impacting western parts of the state, “you’ve set an all-time record in early voting.” North Carolina reported record turnout for the first day of early voting.

“You’re superior people, not garbage,” he said.

Trump criticized his “opponents,” saying they had done “a horrible job, one of the worst jobs since Katrina,” and repeated a false claim that FEMA had spent funds to bring immigrants into the country illegally. Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the surrounding area in 2005 while George W. Bush was president.

Throughout Trump’s speech, a steady stream of people left, but the majority of the crowd stayed and engaged with him.

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