Trump
Michael Whatley, North Carolina senatorial get each other during a campaign rally at the Gastonia Municipal Airport, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, in Gastonia, N.C.
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President Donald Trump has tested his midterm campaign appeal in North Carolina as he tries to help his handpicked Republican Senate hopeful and former national party chairman. The rally marked Trump’s most prominent campaign travel since his midterm convention in Dallas. Despite voter frustrations over the Iran war and his economic leadership, Trump has promised more trips before Election Day. Whatley faces a challenging contest against Cooper. Trump’s involvement in midterm races creates a balancing act for Republicans like Whatley, who must maximize support from the president’s core supporters without alienating other voters who’ve soured on the administration amid inflation and the war in Iran.
