A columnist challenges false crime claims made by Trump and Vance regarding North Carolina (likely Governor Roy Cooper), invoking wartime journalism history to emphasize how truth becomes a casualty in political rhetoric. The piece critiques political figures for spreading misinformation.
On September 18–19, 2026, President Donald Trump referenced a controversial 1988 George H.W. Bush campaign advertisement featuring a Black man while stumping in North Carolina. Trump used the ad to criticize Democratic former Governor Roy Cooper as soft on crime.