ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. — President Donald Trump made his closing argument of 2025 on Friday night by touting his record after 11 months back in office, stopping in a rural part of this swing state to urge supporters to trust his economic agenda as the country heads into a midterm-election year.

A top Justice Department attorney argued in court on Friday that President Donald Trump’s inflammatory rally speech before the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol was at least partially aimed at furthering the broader interests of the United States.

During much of the 12.5-minute call, President Trump reiterated his claims that he had won Georgia, a state he lost by more than 11,000 votes that year.

President Donald Trump has issued a symbolic pardon for Tina Peters, a former Colorado elections administrator convicted of a data breach scheme tied to false claims of election fraud

For years the Scottsdale district has been considered one of the most competitive races in the country. Its incumbent, U.S. Rep. David Schweikert, announced last year that he will not seek re-election in 2026, winding down his 15-year tenure on Capitol Hill and setting up a bitter contest for the rare open congressional seat.

President Trump said he is granting a pardon to Tina Peters, a former Colorado county clerk who was convicted of allowing unauthorized access to voting machines — even though the pardon power is widely understood to only apply to federal crimes.