Donald Trump campaigned in North Carolina on Wednesday for Michael Whatley, his pick for the Senate and a former Republican National Committee chair, who faces Democratic former Gov. Roy Cooper. The Gastonia event was Trump's first campaign rally since his midterm convention in Dallas, and he has promised dozens more trips in the coming weeks, PBS NewsHour reported. Republicans viewed Whatley as a strong recruit to hold the seat being left open by Sen. Thom Tillis, who decided to retire after clashing with the president last year.
What did the president tell the crowd? Trump asked supporters to "pretend I'm on the ballot just one more time" and said gas prices were "a little higher" because of the war in Iran, calling that "a very inexpensive price to pay for what we've done." He repeated an inaccurate claim blaming Cooper for the 2025 stabbing death of Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old who fled Ukraine, though the man charged was not freed early under any Cooper policy, PBS NewsHour reported. He also said Cooper "did nothing" after Hurricane Helene, an accusation Cooper has long rejected. If Republicans lose control of Capitol Hill, Trump said, "our country is going to go through hell."
Who else spoke? Whatley called Trump "the greatest president of our lifetime" before his arrival and blamed Democrats for voters' worries over high prices. Attorney General Todd Blanche also spoke at the rally, in what PBS NewsHour reported was the latest example of how Trump's top law enforcement officer has broken with tradition by participating in partisan campaigning.
Where does the race stand? Whatley, in his first bid for public office, has trailed Cooper in fundraising, and polling over the summer showed Cooper with at least a slight lead. Democrats have not won a Senate contest in North Carolina since 2008, while Cooper has never lost a statewide race across four terms as attorney general and two as governor. Ad tracker AdImpact puts total Republican spending on the contest above $50 million, against almost $35.2 million from Democrats.
How did Democrats respond? Cooper held no public events Wednesday, but the state Democratic Party held a morning news conference to criticize Trump, Whatley and inflation. Speakers raised Whatley's oil and gas investments as the energy sector amasses profits while the Iran war drives up fuel costs. His personal financial disclosures to the Senate show he holds stock in ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell and other energy firms.
Figures referenced: Donald Trump. — JudgeMarket.
