'If We Don't Win, There's No Money'? Camp Lejeune Veterans Just Became a Campaign Promise.
At a North Carolina rally, the president tied settling remaining contaminated-water claims to a Republican win. The governor called it foul.
By Dez Marlowe ·
Most campaign promises are about the future. This one came with a condition.
At his Greenville, North Carolina rally Tuesday, President Trump said his administration has delivered $1 billion in settlements to veterans and families with claims over contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. Then he said that if Republicans win the House and Senate, he'll have the Justice Department settle the remaining legitimate claims fast. And if they don't? "If we don't win, there's no money," Trump said.
These are people exposed to contaminated water at a military base, in litigation over cancer and deaths. Gov. Josh Stein didn't let it slide: "To condition doing the right thing by sick North Carolinians on who wins the election is foul." Same night, Trump also promised every adult citizen $5,000, again only if Republicans win.
For context, the guy he was there for, Senate candidate Michael Whatley, is trailing Roy Cooper by 13 points in the latest Elon poll. Rallies two weeks out are when the promises get big.
What we still don't know: how many claims are still pending, and whether the Justice Department's settlement pace actually changes with the election results.
Sources
Dez Marlowe is a Boston Uncut reporter covering Boston, Massachusetts, national and world news.