By Trevor Hunnicutt and Hannah Lang
(Reuters) -President Donald Trump on Thursday signed a directive backing federal recognition to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, a day before he is due to visit the state he won as part of his sweep of battleground states in November’s election.
The Lumbee tribe is recognized as a Native American tribe by the state of North Carolina but has been denied full recognition by the federal government.
During the presidential campaign, both Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris had pledged to push for federal recognition for the Lumbee Tribe, a designation that would allow the group to receive federal funds and resources. Trump carried the state by 3 percentage points.
The Lumbee Tribe has about 55,000 members, located primarily in Robeson County in the southeastern part of the state, according to the tribe’s website. It has been recognized by North Carolina since 1885.
The executive order requires the Secretary of the Interior to submit a plan to assist the Lumbee Tribe in obtaining full federal recognition through legislation or other means.
Representatives of the Lumbee Tribe did not immediately return a request for comment.
Trump plans on Friday to travel to areas of western North Carolina recovering from catastrophic damage caused by Hurricane Helene last autumn.
(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Costas Pitas; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
