Edwards touts Trump’s return, declares ‘we’re winning’ in defiant speech
Rep. Chuck Edwards wasted no time Saturday Morning reminding supporters that Republicans are back in full control of Washington — and that he intends to be at the forefront of the Trump agenda.
“Isn’t it great to be making America great again?” Edwards said to applause from delegates attending the North Carolina Republican Party’s 11th Congressional District convention at Tuscola High School in Haywood County. “Folks like to call it Donald Trump’s agenda. I like to call it your agenda.”
Following former President Donald Trump’s historic political comeback last November, Republicans now command both chambers of Congress and the executive branch, and they hold significant sway over the Supreme Court. Edwards’ speech served as both a celebration of that resurgence and a blueprint for the battles ahead — on immigration, taxes, military reform and cultural issues.
Edwards, now in his second term, spent much of his speech cataloging the Trump administration’s early actions.
“Donald Trump is closing the border,” he said, claiming illegal crossings have dropped by up to 94%. While formal figures from Customs and Border Protection remain preliminary, early reports suggest a sharp decline following a series of executive orders and an increase in military deployments to southern entry points.
Edwards also cheered Trump’s sweeping efforts to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion mandates across federal agencies, a centerpiece of the president’s opening salvo against what some conservatives deride as “woke bureaucracy.”
Related Items
Unite and fight for the republic
We’re watching you, Chuck
Tell the truth about immigrants
Pless feuds with first responders: Emergency medical personnel cry out against proposed bills
Pivoting to fiscal matters, Edwards warned of a looming tax bomb unless Congress acts to make permanent the 2017 cuts set to expire at the end of 2025.
“In this one big, beautiful bill, we’re going to prevent the largest tax increase in history,” he said regarding the looming expiration of Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, which were overwhelmingly slanted to benefit wealthy Americans like him.
The push for permanent tax cuts has remained a top legislative priority for the Trump White House and the GOP-led Congress.
Edwards also outlined plans for significant reforms at the Pentagon, praising Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s proposal to cut 8% of military bureaucracy jobs and refocus resources on combat readiness.
Addressing what has been an ongoing controversy for Republicans, Edwards said, “We will protect Social Security, regardless of what the Democrats are out there are saying right now.”
Edwards has long been mistaken about, or unaware of, his own party’s positions on social security. During his 2022 congressional bid, Edwards told The Smoky Mountain News that “there is absolutely no interest from Republicans to cut Medicare or Social Security.” Edwards’ comments came just weeks after Rep. Kevin McCarthy and Sen. Ron Johnson, both Republicans, refused to quash rumors about potential cuts.
A year later, Edwards remained silent about protecting seniors and veterans, refusing to meet with a group asking him to sign a pledge protecting Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and veterans benefits.
Earlier this year, a Social Security office in Edwards’ own district appeared on billionaire Elon Musk’s DOGE website, slated for closing. It ended up being removed from the list after outcry suggested Edwards wasn’t aware of the initial listing or was powerless to prevent it.
Throughout his speech, Edwards repeatedly mocked Democrats, portraying them as disoriented in the wake of Trump’s return.
“The Democrats right now are angry, and they’re dazed and they’re confused, and all they really know what to do right now is to protest, and many times they don’t even know what they’re protesting,” he said. “You see them at town halls over in downtown Asheville. You see them out in front of my restaurants in Hendersonville. You see them out in front of the courthouse, my district office, when they know that I’m in town. You see them out in front of the Carolina Cruiser when we’ve got it out and about. And I’m loving how angry they are. I’m loving how confused they are, and I’m loving how they’re pointing fingers at one another now, much, much worse than Republicans have ever done.”
While large protests against Trump policies have erupted nationwide — particularly around immigration and reproductive rights — Democratic leaders in Congress have pledged a determined opposition campaign, attempting to cast doubt on Edwards’ depiction of a party in disarray.
Unfortunately for Democrats, Edwards is right, with the rudderless national party looking at historically low approval ratings around 37% — lower even than Trump’s 39%.
Closer to home, Edwards issued a nativist warning about the changing demographics of Western North Carolina.
“More folks are moving to NC-11 from around the country like never before,” he said. “And they’re bringing their politics with them. So many of us remember the days like 2012 where we won this House seat by 22 points. That majority will never happen again, because conditions are changing.”
Population growth in areas like Henderson and Buncombe counties has complicated the region’s traditional political dynamics, though the district remains a Republican stronghold — for now. According to nonpartisan mapping website davesredistricting.org, NC-11 has performed at 53.8% Republican between 2016 and 2022.
Underscoring his closeness to the president, Edwards shared personal anecdotes about joining Trump aboard Air Force One for a post-inauguration flight to Western North Carolina and about presenting his 62-page report on FEMA reform to the White House during a 90-minute meeting.
The trip, he said, allowed him to secure “absolute yeses” and “strong maybes” for local projects related to Hurricane Helene. Though he provided no specifics, the story played well with the crowd, reinforcing Edwards’ reputation as a Trump loyalist with direct influence in Washington.
That influence, however, hasn’t yet become apparent; when Congress passed a $110 billion spending bill in late December 2024 — a bill Edwards claims he helped write — Western North Carolina only came away with a fraction of the $60 billion the state says it needs to rebuild. Edwards also sits on the House Appropriations committee. His own estimate of forthcoming aid is around $17 billion for the Tar Heel State, but others put the amount between $9 billion and $15 billion.
Earlier this month, Gov. Josh Stein announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development would allocate a paltry $1.4 billion for housing and infrastructure. Last month, an investigation by The Smoky Mountain News revealed that only about 4% of recovery funding needs by municipal governments had been met, with some governments receiving nothing at all, six months after Helene.
“We’ve got a president that is determined to see Western North Carolina rebuild,” Edwards said, ignoring the Trump administration’s denial of extending the 100% cost share from the Biden administration on repair projects. Edwards recently said he wouldn’t fight the decision, which will cost local governments millions. Stein has appealed the decision.
Edwards’ speech captured the boisterous, combative tone that has defined Trump’s second presidency — a sweeping rejection of the status quo, a bold promise to upend federal institutions and a sharp edge against critics opposed to the Republican message.
“I’m working to use the platform that you’ve given me with the media to give the Republican message a chance,” he said. “I’m working to use the social media platform that I have, the newsletter platform that I have, to speak the truth, because one of the biggest surprises that I’ve seen in Washington D.C. are the amount of lies coming from the Democrats.”
Last April, Edwards was unanimously sanctioned by the bipartisan House Communications Standards Commission for violating federal law and the rules of the House of Representatives by using his newsletter to conduct personal attacks on Biden.
The event also demonstrated Edwards’ positioning within the broader GOP coalition. By tying himself closely to Trump and celebrating the administration’s early actions, Edwards is both solidifying his base and preparing for a potentially higher profile within a party undergoing rapid transformation — if outrage over tariffs, the economy, the rule of law, the arrest of judges, deportations of children without due process and security lapses at the highest levels of the Pentagon don’t bring the whole party crashing down in the 2026 midterm elections.
“I’m proud of what Republicans are stand for right now,” he said. “I’m proud of what we’re accomplishing. I think we need to embrace it.”
As he closed his remarks, Edwards called on supporters to stay engaged, warning that even with Trump back in the Oval Office, the work of remaking America in his image is far from complete.
