Trump rushes to North Carolina to prop up embattled Senate hopeful Michael Whatley
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President Donald Trump is set to campaign in Greenville, North Carolina, in an effort to salvage Republican Senate nominee Michael Whatley as polls show him trailing former Democratic governor Roy Cooper with the midterm elections less than two weeks away.
President Donald Trump is scheduled to appear in Greenville, North Carolina, on a campaign stop designed to shore up Republican Senate nominee Michael Whatley, who is still lagging behind former Democratic governor Roy Cooper in recent polls. The visit is part of a seven-day tour through states that voted for Trump in 2024, an all-out attempt to energize the GOP base and rescue vulnerable Republican candidates ahead of the midterm elections, now less than two weeks away.
The North Carolina push comes after a striking shift in Republican fundraising strategy, with the Senate’s top GOP Super PAC diverting a $71 million advertising budget from the state to the Kansas Senate race, a move analysts interpret as a sign that confidence in holding the Tar Heel seat is fading.
“You’re really sort of – I hate to say it – you’re sort of tending toward the purple,” Trump told a crowd of about 5,000 supporters outside Wichita, openly acknowledging the competitive climate in Kansas and the presence of a Democratic governor.
Trump’s North Carolina appearance is expected to center on firing up the Republican base and spotlighting local issues, while the campaign tries to close the polling gap between Whatley and Cooper before voters head to the polls.
The president’s broader midterm push includes rallies in other swing states, with the administration highlighting economic worries such as rising fuel costs and agricultural challenges tied to the ongoing conflict in Iran.