Authored by Arjun Singh via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Edwin Robasco was a truck driver and Teamsters union member from Boston. Less than a year ago he moved to Wilmington, North Carolina—one of many retirees flocking to the warm southern state.

Illustration by The Epoch Times, Getty Images, Nathan Worcester/The Epoch Times

On a hot September day at the downtown farmers’ market, he explained why—after supporting “Kennedys, Kennedys, Kennedys” as a Democrat for years—he’s now voting for former President Donald Trump.

“You let millions of people in here. You don’t even know who they are. You don’t have a clue,” Robasco said, referring to the influx of illegal immigrants over the U.S. border, which has become Trump’s chief focus this campaign.

“I don’t know how they’re gonna pay for them. You can’t just let people in and not help take care [of them]. You got to do it,” Robasco said.

Robasco is one of many North Carolinians who spoke with The Epoch Times about how they intend to vote in November’s presidential election, and what’s driving their decisions.

With 15 electoral votes, North Carolina is crucial to win for both Trump and his Democratic opponent Vice President Kamala Harris.

In 2020, Trump won the state by 1.34 percent, his narrowest margin of victory in any state that year. Both Trump and Harris have made the state a regular stop in the final stages of their campaigns.

‘The Economy and the Border’

Across dozens of interviews, the state of the economy and the border crisis were top-of-mind issues for Democratic and Republican voters. Many were concerned about large numbers of illegal immigrants coming to their communities, even as they were supportive of immigration generally.

“The big issues, right now, are the economy and the border. Those are the two major issues that people tell me about on a daily basis. They’re very concerned about our security in our country, and they are very concerned about the loss of jobs and the inflation rate,” North Carolina state Sen. W. Ted Alexander, a Republican, told The Epoch Times at a Trump rally in Mint Hill on Sept. 25.

Al Smith is a 34-year-old who owns an auto body repair shop in Greensboro, North Carolina. He cited migration as one of the reasons he’s voting for Trump this year.

“Hell yeah,” said Smith when asked if he is concerned about illegal immigrants in the area.

“What happens to the average Joe? That job where he was getting paid $14 an hour, now it has been 7, 8 bucks … that’s when it gets a little sticky,” Smith said, suggesting that illegal immigration is bringing down wages for U.S. workers in the area.

“Some of the border things [Trump says] can be a little extreme, but at the same time, just think about how many people are passing through the border,” he said.

“When you have the influx … when you get into millions and millions and millions, you know, they’re getting more money than our veterans—that’s a problem,” said Logan Prince, a business owner and Trump supporter.

Logan Prince, business owner and Trump supporter, poses for a photo in Greensboro, N.C., on Sept. 19, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

Even Harris’s supporters lamented about illegal immigration, though they noted how local businesses relied upon them.

“We have concerns about borders and stuff like that,” said Camila and Lyndon White, grandparents from Randolph County, North Carolina, who are supporting Harris.

“But we … rely on our immigrant population. We have a friend who’s a brick mason, and all of his crews are immigrants. Without them, he couldn’t do what he does.”

“People think about immigration [here]. I mean, all those issues,” said Palmer McIntyre, a Harris supporter and conservationist in Greensboro.

On the economy, voters were worried about both inflation and fuel prices. Disappointment with the Biden administration’s economic performance is a big reason many are choosing to support Trump.

“I’m a small-business owner, and I’ve never had a president hurt me as much as this administration has hurt me—from fuel, fertilizers, [to] products. Everything is crazy … [because of] interest rates. I can’t get money from anywhere. Nobody’s lending money and fuel,” Prince said.

Rev. Rick Baker, pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Mint Hill, North Carolina, said: “Our finances are going downhill terribly. People can’t afford those small things. I mean, especially those with lower incomes, they’re struggling. … [As] a pastor of a church, I know my people, and they’re having it harder than they’ve ever been.” He said he’s backing Trump.

Rev. Nick Baker, pastor of Faith Baptist Church, attends a Trump rally in Mint Hill, N.C., on Sept. 25, 2024. Arjun Singh/The Epoch Times

Harris supporters shared these concerns. “I used to think we were upper middle class. I think we’re just middle class now,” said Camila White, who complained of high housing prices and the cost of living.

“[Prices] will continue to [go up], especially with food,” said Cheryl Bridges, a Quaker chaplain in Greensboro, regarding the cost of living. She relies on monthly Social Security payments and is concerned she won’t be able to cover her expenses.

Some of Harris’s supporters told The Epoch Times she is not being clear enough about her economic plans. So far, Harris has proposed a raft of tax credits for parents of minor children, homebuyers, and businesses as her economic proposals.

“I feel like Democrats don’t do a great job at really [communicating],” said Russell, a Harris supporter who runs a mental health services provider in Greensboro.

“You really gotta get very clear … and you gotta be really contemporary with your example

Russell, a behavioral health services provider, poses for a photo in his cybertruck in Greensboro, N.C., on Sept. 19, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

Pro-Abortion Republicans

Abortion has become a flashpoint in the election following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, with several abortion bans in conservative states provoking backlashes. In North Carolina—where the state legislature enacted a ban on abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy, with certain exceptions—most voters told The Epoch Times that abortion should be permissible.

“I can’t believe the Roe v. Wade changed. I can’t believe that [Trump] has the right to do that to women,” said Jill Radzcwiz of Salisbury, North Carolina, who said she is voting for Harris “mainly because of women.”

“We have two granddaughters, so I’m concerned about their reproductive rights,” said White. “I would like for [my daughter] to have the freedom to see her doctor and decide her health care needs. … A woman should decide for herself.”

Read the rest here…