Las Vegas, NV, September 18, 2026 — During a campaign rally held in Gastonia, North Carolina, former President Donald Trump referenced the racially charged 1988 Willie Horton campaign advertisement. Trump utilized the advertisement, which prominently featured a Black man convicted of violent crimes, to voice criticism of Democratic crime policies. He drew a parallel between the historical advertisement and the recent pretrial release of a Black man currently facing murder charges in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The Willie Horton ad, released during the 1988 presidential election campaign, was widely criticized for its racial undertones and its use in promoting a tough-on-crime message. The ad highlighted Horton, who had committed assault and murder while on a temporary furlough from a Massachusetts prison.

Trump’s remarks at the rally aimed to connect current Democratic approaches to crime and justice with what he characterized as failed policies. The specific Democratic crime policies that were criticized were not detailed in the summary.

In his comparison, Trump linked the circumstances surrounding the pretrial release of a Black man in Charlotte, who is facing murder charges, to the controversial historical advertisement. The name of the individual facing murder charges in Charlotte was not provided. The summary did not specify the date or circumstances of this individual’s pretrial release.

The reporting on Trump’s speech notes a discrepancy regarding the political accountability for the events he referenced. It was observed that the former governor whom Trump targeted in his remarks was not in office during the time frame of the original Willie Horton advertisement and the events associated with it. The name of the former governor was not provided in the summary.

Further details regarding the specific former governor referenced, the exact date of the campaign rally in Gastonia, or additional specifics about the pretrial release in Charlotte were not available in the provided information.

Story summarized from the original created by Associated Press on lasvegassun.com, see more information here.

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