Trump Touts Economic Record, Avoids Epstein Files in Rally

Donald Trump in Rocky Mount, North Carolina on Dec. 19.Photographer: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

President Donald Trump began a rally Friday night in North Carolina talking about crime and then highlighted his efforts to combat economic uncertainty — while also steering clear of addressing new disclosures involving the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

In front of hundreds of people at Rocky Mount Event Center in eastern North Carolina, Trump cited a high-profile crime that galvanized his base and went through recent consumer price index data, recounting stories of threatening tariffs to get better terms on deals.