North Carolina
Give Trump North Carolina’s Electoral Votes Early? House Rep. Harris Calling Race Before Vote’s Even Tallied
Topline
Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., chair of the right-wing House Freedom Caucus, suggested North Carolina’s GOP-controlled legislature should declare former President Donald Trump the winner of the state’s 16 electors before votes are finalized, giving credence to the far-flung scheme that drew bipartisan rebuke on Capitol Hill.
Newly elected House Freedom Caucus chairman Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., speaks with Roll Call in the … [+]
Key Facts
Harris said Thursday during a Republican Party dinner in Talbot County, Maryland, that it “makes a lot of sense” to convene the legislature early to certify electoral votes for Trump before they’re finalized, considering that Hurricane Helene may have disenfranchised voters in some counties ravaged by the storm, many of which are heavily Republican.
Harris was responding to a suggestion from pro-Trump activist Ivan Raiklin advocating for North Carolina and other states to certify their election results before they’re finalized “so that those states guarantee that no illegals are voting, no illegal drop boxes, no illegal signature non verifications going on,” he said during the Thursday meeting, according to a video of the remarks he posted to his X account.
Harris suggested the plan was “legitimate” in North Carolina, given the devastation from Helene, but questioned whether it would work in other states.
Rep. Joe Morelle, D-N.Y., chair of the House Administration committee tasked with overseeing election processes, blasted the plan as a “blood-chilling scheme,” in a statement to Politico, adding “extreme Republican leaders are openly advocating that North Carolina’s electoral votes be given to Donald Trump without an election.”
Contra
Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., told reporters Friday he hadn’t heard about the plans discussed in Talbot County but that “it makes no sense whatsoever to prejudge the election outcome. And that is a misinformed view of what is happening on the ground in North Carolina, bless his heart.”
Big Number
16. That’s how many electoral votes belong to North Carolina, one of the seven swing states that will decide the election. Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are locked in a dead heat there, with Five Thirty Eight’s polling average showing Trump leading by 1.3 points.
Key Background
Trump and his allies appear to be gearing up to contest the results of the 2024 election if Trump loses. While Trump has said he hasn’t seen any signs of fraud so far in the election process and has encouraged his supporters to vote early, he has also said Harris can’t win unless Democrats cheat. Republicans have already filed a slew of election-related legal challenges this cycle
Further Reading
How Courts Are Impacting 2024 Election: Court Blocks Virginia’s Last-Minute Voter Roll Purge (Forbes)
Here’s How Trump And His Allies Are Teeing Up Potential Election Loss Challenges (Forbes)
North Carolina 2024 Trump-Harris Polls: Trump Leads By 2 Points In 2 New Surveys (Forbes)
After flopping in their first two major non-conference games, the Cats get the chance to knock off a top-25 team at home. However, they will apparently be doing so without two of their starters.
According to Mark Pope during his Monday call-in radio show, Jaland Lowe and Mo Dioubate are both not expected to play Tuesday night against the Tar Heels.
“Those guys are coming along. They’re doing the best they can. I’m not sure that they’re going to be available tomorrow, but they’re making progress. We can’t wait till they get back,” said Pope.
Dioubate is recovering from an ankle injury, while Lowe is still working his way back from the latest shoulder injury he suffered in a recent practice, ironically while trying to box out Dioubate.
We should note that North Carolina is also dealing with the injury bug. Starting point guard Seth Trimble is currently sidelined due to a hand fracture. On Monday, head coach Hubert Davis said Trimble is “progressing fast.” However, the senior is not expected to return until later in December, so he’s out Tuesday night.
The Cats will have to look to knock off the Heels in a major top-25 showdown. Let’s hope they can get the job done.
Finally, after a long wait, Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats are preparing for another marquee game, with this one coming against the North Carolina Tar Heels. This game is a part of the SEC/ACC Challenge, where the Wildcats will look to represent the conference with a win.
While the Wildcats are 0-2 in a ranked game this season, they have yet to play one in Rupp Arena, and this will change on Tuesday night when Pope’s team hosts North Carolina. The tip for this game is set for 9:30 on Tuesday night, which will be a bit weird, but Rupp Arena will be hectic.
With this being such an important game, let’s take a look at three reasons why the Wildcats will beat North Carolina.
One common theme in both of the Wildcats’ losses so far this season has been getting out to a slow start. In both of these games, the Wildcats faced a daunting halftime deficit, and it was too much to overcome. With this game being at home in front of the best fans in college basketball, the Wildcats need to flip the script and get out to a hot start.
North Carolina, like Michigan State, has two elite bigs, and this means Malachi Moreno will need to have a big game. If Moreno is able to get an efficient double-double for the Wildcats, it will go a long way to helping Pope’s team win this game. Kentucky was dominated down low by the Spartans with their elite frontcourt, and Pope needs to make sure that history does not repeat itself when the Tar Heels come to town.
Both Kentucky and North Carolina are good rebounding teams, with the Wildcats in the top five and UNC inside the top 20. In the loss to Michigan State, the Wildcats were dominated on the boards, losing this battle 42-28. If Kentucky gets dominated on the glass in this game, it will be hard to win. Like the Wildcats, the Tar Heels lost the rebounding battle to Michigan State but by a smaller margin. Who wins on the glass in this basketball game will have a direct correlation to who ends up with more points on the scoreboard when the final buzzer sounds.
Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats have not enjoyed a fairytale start to their season, but Tuesday evening’s matchup against North Carolina presents an opportunity to redirect their trajectory. Currently sitting at 6-2, this game could provide crucial insights into where Kentucky stands in the broader landscape of college basketball.
The Wildcats faced a setback against Michigan State, suffering an 83-66 defeat that raised questions about their ability to compete with top-tier teams. However, they rebounded impressively with a decisive 88-46 victory over Loyola Maryland, followed by a dominant performance against Tennessee Tech, winning 104-54 just days ago.
Despite their storied history of finding ways to win, the challenge remains: can Kentucky consistently triumph over elite opponents? Losses to Louisville on the road and Michigan State exposed vulnerabilities in their defense and tempo control. In both games, Kentucky struggled with interior defense and depth issues.
Looking ahead, there is still plenty of basketball left in the season, including Tuesday’s late-night showdown at Rupp Arena—a clash between two blue blood programs from the ACC and SEC. Historically, North Carolina leads the series against Kentucky 25-18. This year’s Tar Heels roster features some of the most lethal players in college basketball. If Kentucky allows North Carolina to dictate the pace of play, they risk facing another long night and missing out on a significant opportunity.
For Kentucky to succeed, controlling tempo will be paramount as they confront this talented Tar Heels squad. Mark Pope’s team must focus on containing North Carolina’s “Big Three”: freshman forward Caleb Wilson (averaging 19.9 points per game), junior center Henri Veesaar (15.9 PPG), and freshman guard Luka Bogavac (a key scorer adept at navigating ball screens). Collectively, these three players contribute significantly to UNC’s offensive output.
Limiting Wilson, Veesaar, and Bogavac is essential if Kentucky hopes to avoid another loss. Should they fail to do so, North Carolina will likely capitalize on second-chance scoring opportunities.
The Tar Heels currently shoot 46.8% from the field but struggle from beyond the arc at just 31.8%. This presents a potential opening for Kentucky; if they can restrict UNC’s effectiveness inside the three-point line, they may have a chance to stifle one of their primary sources of offense.
However, North Carolina boasts depth with multiple capable shooters. The Wildcats must prioritize protecting the paint and preventing any easy scoring chances—an area where they faltered against larger opponents like Louisville and Michigan State.
Another vulnerability for UNC lies in turnovers; they average 11.6 per game—a statistic that could allow Kentucky to seize control of the game’s direction if exploited effectively. Despite recent struggles, Kentucky possesses athleticism on the perimeter that could be advantageous in setting an early tempo against UNC.
Tuesday presents a significant opportunity for the Wildcats to demonstrate their ability to compete against formidable opponents like the University of North Carolina. A victory in this matchup could alter the trajectory of Mark Pope’s team. Despite some recent missteps, analytics platforms such as KenPom project a favorable outcome for Kentucky, predicting a score of 84-75 over UNC.
The Tar Heels will undoubtedly present numerous challenges, and Coach Pope will need to carefully assess his roster based on player availability leading up to the game. Nevertheless, Kentucky has the potential to redefine its season. It is important to remember that it is still early in the basketball calendar; any sense of urgency to push the PANIC button just yet on this team’s performance may be premature.
Tip-off is scheduled for 9:30 PM ET at Rupp Arena.
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