Trump Rallies for Trailing Whatley in North Carolina
Trump Rallies for Trailing Whatley in North Carolina
The News
President Donald Trump campaigned in Gastonia, North Carolina, on Wednesday for Republican Senate nominee Michael Whatley, who is trailing Democratic former Gov. Roy Cooper in a race Republicans need to hold.
It was Trump's first stop for a candidate since the Republican National Committee's midterm convention in Dallas last week.
Trump attacked Cooper as "weak" on crime and credited Whatley, a former RNC chairman, with the party's past "record setting" election wins in the state, according to Roll Call and The Hill.
The Numbers
A recent Elon University poll put Cooper ahead of Whatley 49% to 38% among likely voters. Trump's job approval in North Carolina stood at 41%, against 56% who disapprove.
Republicans have spent more than $50 million on advertising in the race; Democrats have spent nearly $35.2 million.
Timeline
The last time North Carolina elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate.
Sen. Thom Tillis announces his retirement after a public dispute with Trump, leaving the seat open.
Republicans hold their first-ever midterm convention, in Dallas.
Trump takes the stage at a rally in Gastonia, Whatley's hometown, in south-central North Carolina.
Reactions
Trump told the Gastonia crowd that Whatley had delivered "record setting" wins for Republicans in the state, The Hill reported, and hammered Cooper as soft on crime, per Roll Call.
Whatley embraced the president on stage, The Washington Times reported, tying his campaign directly to Trump as he tries to shore up a operation that has not gained traction.
MSNBC reported that some Republican voters at the event in Whatley's own hometown said they barely knew who he was.
Roll Call framed the visit as an attempt to drive up Republican turnout "amid powerful economic headwinds." The national average for regular gasoline was $4.33 a gallon on Sept. 16, per AAA. Cooper has branded his own swing through the state a "Make Stuff Cost Less" tour.
What's Next
Trump has vowed to campaign in roughly 35 competitive races before the Nov. 3 elections.
Democrats plan events focused on inflation under Trump, while Republicans bet that presidential star power can lift a nominee with a name-recognition problem.
More
Unaffiliated voters make up roughly 40% of North Carolina's registered electorate and are widely seen as the group that decides statewide races.
Among voters who said they backed Trump in 2024, 72% currently support Whatley, 10% back Cooper and 14% are undecided — a soft margin in a state Trump carried in all three of his presidential runs.
Poll
Will Trump's rallies flip the North Carolina Senate race?
US Denies Abbas Visa for UN Assembly
Woman Pleads Guilty in $750K Epstein Fund Fraud
Sep 17, 2026
OpenAI Agents Hacked Hugging Face, Probed Months Earlier
Sep 17, 2026
Trump to Meet Gulf Leaders on Iran War
Sep 17, 2026
Thousands Missing in Nepal; Scientists Blame Warming
Sep 17, 2026
Snap Launches $2,195 AR Glasses With Nvidia, Salesforce
Sep 17, 2026
Paul Blocks Kennedy's AI 'Kill Switch' Bill
Sep 16, 2026
Trump Bans Canadian Goods, Warns Over EU Bid
Sep 17, 2026
House Passes Bill Curbing Data Center Power Costs
Sep 16, 2026
Kraft and Sheeran Pledge $4M After Macklemore Challenge
Sep 17, 2026
Colleagues Prompt McConnell to Flip Farm Bill Vote
Sep 16, 2026
House Passes Russia Sanctions, Sending Bill to Trump
Sep 16, 2026
Israel, Morocco to Open Embassies in US-Backed Deal
Sep 16, 2026
ISIS-K Operative Gets 20 Years Over Abbey Gate
Sep 16, 2026
Park Service Admits Trump Arch Harms Historic Sites
Sep 16, 2026
Feds Charge Three in $12M LA Homeless Fraud
Sep 16, 2026
Paramount Eyes California Exit as Merger Deadline Looms
Sep 16, 2026
GOP Leaders Erupt Over Gas Tax Suspension
Sep 16, 2026
Trump Demands 1% Rates After Fed Hike
Sep 17, 2026
US Confirms Space Weapons, Eyes Lunar Warfare
Sep 16, 2026
Sep 17, 2026