Trump campaigns for Whatley as North Carolina Senate race intensifies
The president urged supporters to treat the midterm election as if he were on the ballot while sharpening Republican attacks against Democratic nominee Roy Cooper.
GASTONIA — President Donald Trump returned to North Carolina on Wednesday to campaign for Republican U.S. Senate nominee Michael Whatley, placing his political standing at the center of one of the country’s closely watched midterm contests.
Trump and Whatley appeared together at Gastonia Municipal Airport as Republicans seek to mobilize the president’s supporters ahead of the Nov. 3 general election.
During the event, Trump encouraged voters to approach the election as if his own name were on the ballot. He praised Whatley and framed the Senate contest as part of the national struggle over control of Congress and the direction of his administration.
Whatley similarly emphasized his alliance with Trump. Before the event, Whatley’s campaign said the president needed an ally in the Senate and described the Republican nominee as a candidate who would support Trump’s agenda.
The president also attacked Democratic nominee Roy Cooper, the former two-term North Carolina governor. Crime, the economy and Cooper’s record in state government were among the principal themes raised during the campaign appearance.
The event underscored the national importance both parties place on the seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, who is not seeking another term. Republicans are trying to retain the seat, while Democrats view North Carolina as an opportunity to gain representation in an evenly divided state.
Trump’s appearance also tied Whatley’s campaign more closely to the president at a time when voters are weighing federal economic policy, public safety and the performance of the Trump administration.
Whatley previously served as chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party and the Republican National Committee. Cooper served as North Carolina’s attorney general before winning two terms as governor.
Voting in North Carolina’s general election has already begun through absentee-by-mail ballots. The regular voter-registration deadline is Oct. 9, and in-person early voting will run from Oct. 15 through Oct. 31. Election Day is Nov. 3.
The Gastonia event occurred in one city, but its political significance extends statewide: Whatley and Cooper are competing for a Senate seat that will be decided by voters across all 100 counties.
Editor’s note:
This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.
