Trump leaves Rocky Mount without endorsing in NC's crowded 1st district primary

Danielle Battaglia and Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi, The News & Observer (Raleigh) on Dec 20, 2025

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Republicans in the 1st Congressional District are vying for President Donald Trump’s endorsement, but he left his speech in Rocky Mount on Friday night without offering one, or acknowledging the candidates.

Candidate filing ended at noon Friday, and five Republicans are hoping to defeat Rep. Don Davis, a Democrat from Snow Hill.

The 1st district has been a Democratic stronghold for more than a century, but at Trump’s request, North Carolina lawmakers redrew the district to favor a Republican.

Davis, undeterred, is running as the sole Democrat on the ballot. Vietnam veteran Tom Bailey will be the sole Libertarian.

Among Republicans, Laurie Buckout, a former top Trump administration official on cyber policy; state Sen. Bobby Hanig; Lenoir County Commissioner Eric Rouse, Carteret County Sheriff Asa Buck; and attorney Ashley-Nicole Buck will all appear on the March 3 Republican ballot.

In a news release after Buckhout got into the race, Buck took aim at her, revealing that both had recently been to the White House seeking endorsements.

Trump traveled to Rocky Mount, within the 1st district, on Friday night to talk about the economy, immigration and his support of U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley. But candidates for the 1st Congressional District got no such attention.

Trump did target Davis in his speech, saying he betrayed North Carolina.

Buckhout, who unsuccessfully ran against Davis in 2024, attended the event Friday night, where she spoke to The News & Observer about her run.

“I ran last time — tough race — lost by a point and a half,” Buckhout said.

After that race, she joined the Trump administration, serving as acting assistant secretary of war for cyber policy until September, then briefly as White House assistant national cyber director for policy. She said the work kept her focused.

“I was busy up there, nose to the grindstone, doing my thing,” she said. “I finally decided to leave and come back home.”

She said people began asking her to run.

“Then it kind of hit me,” she said. “I wasn’t working for the administration anymore. I was like, ‘You know what? I want to go back to serve my folks.’”

Opponents of Buckhout have zeroed in on statements she made earlier this year to the Albemarle Observer that she would not run due to health reasons and injuries sustained while serving in Iraq.

Buckhout told a radio host this week that a medication change left her “feeling like a million bucks.”

She was among many North Carolina candidates spotted at the event, including Hanig.

Whatley and Senate leader Phil Berger had speaking slots. Reps. Tim Moore and Brad Knott briefly shared the stage with Trump.

Moore, Knott and Berger have all earned Trump’s endorsements for their reelection campaigns, prior to Friday night.

Whatley is also endorsed by Trump, and unlike the 1st district candidates, he got full-throated support from the president on stage.

In a 90-minute, highly partisan and often rambling speech — despite being an official White House event — Trump discussed the economy, immigration and Whatley’s campaign.

“You’ve got to get Michael Whatley,” Trump said. “It’s going to be so important. He was so great. Don’t forget I took Michael Whatley and put him as the head of the party because he was so great. We won this thing all three times, and it was like a rock.”

The sentiment was mutual.

“Donald Trump, right now, is serving as the most transformational president in our lifetime and President Trump, my pledge to you is this,” Whatley said, “when I win this seat, when I am the next senator from North Carolina, I am going to be a fighter every day for the state.”