President Donald Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick announced hundreds of millions of dollars in new semiconductor manufacturing investments for North Carolina on Tuesday, part of a manufacturing push the president says could put America on track to produce half the world's computer chips.
The announcement came during a rally on the tarmac at Pitt-Greenville Airport in Greenville, where Trump spoke for about 90 minutes in front of a crowd of several thousand. The president's upcoming schedule includes a stop in Iowa this week, alongside rallies in South Carolina, Florida, and Georgia, as he campaigns to protect Republican majorities in Congress ahead of the midterms.
What Was Announced in North Carolina
Speaking to supporters, Trump called the investment plan a very big deal for the state and the country. Lutnick then detailed the centerpiece: mining company Sibelco committed to producing quartz components needed for critical materials in chip production.
It's basically the foundation of semiconductors, Lutnick told the crowd. They can build it right here in North Carolina, according to 93.3 The Drive, which reported the announcement on Tuesday.
Trump also highlighted a $1.5 billion conditional loan announced Oct. 7 from the Department of War to Wolfspeed, a semiconductor manufacturer expanding its operations in the state. The Hill reported that Trump told the rally the department will be investing $1.5 billion to produce semiconductor chips in North Carolina.
The investments fit squarely into the president's America First agenda of reshoring manufacturing and rebuilding domestic supply chains. Trump lamented the years of technology companies moving production overseas, particularly to Taiwan, and vowed to reestablish American supply chains, predicting domestic manufacturers could soon produce half of the world's computing chips.
Why It Matters for Iowa
For Iowa voters, the message lands close to home. The state knows the cost of watching production and jobs drift overseas, and the reshoring push Trump described Tuesday mirrors priorities that resonate across the Heartland: domestic manufacturing, energy independence, and supply chains that do not run through Beijing or Taipei.
Trump is also heading back to Iowa this week as part of a near-daily campaign schedule designed to boost GOP turnout. The president encouraged North Carolina supporters to turn out for the midterms as if his name were on the ballot, a message he is expected to repeat for Iowa audiences.
This is the golden age of America, and with a couple of votes ... we can lose all of the tax credits, all of the tax abatements and tax cuts, all of the job regulations, Trump said.
Republicans currently hold the House, the Senate, and the White House, but the margins are slim. Democrats are working to flip one or both chambers, which would hand them power to block the administration's agenda on taxes, regulation, and trade.
Midterm Stakes in North Carolina
The Greenville rally doubled as a stump stop for Republican candidates in the Tar Heel State, according to reporting by www.theepochtimes.com. Trump carried the battleground state in 2016, 2020, and 2024.
Republican Michael Whatley, running to replace retiring Sen. Thom Tillis, told the crowd that President Trump needs an ally who will work to lower costs, create more jobs, protect families, and preserve the American dream. Whatley said he would fight for tax cuts, regulatory relief, and trade policies that help small businesses, manufacturers, and especially farmers.
His opponents include Democrat former Gov. Roy Cooper, Libertarian Shannon Bray, and Green Party candidate Michael Dublin. Recent polling shows Cooper with a 10-point lead with two weeks remaining, and his campaign has focused on the cost of living.
For too many Americans, the middle class feels like a distant dream, Cooper said in a statement. Meanwhile, the biggest corporations and the richest Americans have grabbed unimaginable wealth at your expense.
In the state's 1st Congressional District, Republican Laurie Buckhout is challenging incumbent Rep. Don Davis in a race polls suggest is a toss-up. Buckhout told the rally she wants her boys and every kid in the district to have the America we grew up with, where hard work pays off, where the border means something, and you don't have to leave home to build a future.
Davis's campaign countered in a statement that families across eastern North Carolina are feeling the pain of increased gas prices, higher grocery bills, and rising healthcare costs, and said Davis is working to make life more affordable.
Trump Keeps Up Campaign Pace
The Greenville stop was Trump's second visit to North Carolina in five weeks, following a Sept. 16 rally in Gastonia, and he teased another rally in the area before Election Day. The Guardian reported that the president said he will have spent $400 million supporting Republicans in the midterms.
At least seven protesters were removed from the rally after interrupting the event, with police escorting them out.
Trump's Iowa appearance this week gives Hawkeye State voters a direct look at the closing argument Republicans are making nationwide: keep the majorities, keep the tax cuts, and keep the manufacturing comeback going. With chip plants, quartz processing, and reshored production lines now part of the political pitch, the question for voters is whether the America First economic record earns another two years of a Republican trifecta.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Trump and Lutnick announce in North Carolina?
On Tuesday, Oct. 20, at a rally in Greenville, they announced hundreds of millions of dollars in semiconductor investments, including a commitment from mining company Sibelco to produce quartz components for chip production.
Is Trump campaigning in Iowa?
Yes. Trump's schedule includes rallies this week in South Carolina, Iowa, Florida, and Georgia as part of near-daily campaign events ahead of the midterm elections.
How much federal money is going to North Carolina chip production?
The Department of War announced a $1.5 billion conditional loan to Wolfspeed on Oct. 7 to expand semiconductor operations in the state.