President Trump visits NC to gather support for Republican Senate candidate trailing in polls

GASTONIA, N.C. – Hundreds of people stood in the sun without shade for hours. Medics were standing by and helped at least two people who overheated while waiting to see President Donald Trump at the Gastonia Airport Wednesday evening.

“I want you to go out and pretend I’m on the ballot because essentially I am,” President Trump said to the crowd. “We gotta win this election.”

The president visited Gastonia to wrangle support for Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley.

In his hour long speech, he played a campaign ad blaming former Governor Roy Cooper for releasing thousands of inmates on the streets to address prison overcrowding during the covid pandemic.

“A vote for Roy Cooper is a vote to give control of the US senate,” President Trump said.

Polling shows Cooper with a double digit lead over Whatley. An Elon University poll from late August surveyed 800 NC voters. Out of the voters surveyed, 49% favored Cooper, 36% favored Whatley and 14% are undecided or voting for another candidate.

“Roy Cooper made stuff cost more, and if he gets elected to the Senate, he will vote every single day to bring back Joe Biden’s inflationary policies that made gas prices and grocery prices and housing prices go through the roof.,” Michael Whatley, US Senate Candidate said.

Affordability has taken on a leading role in the upcoming midterm elections, just seven weeks away. The federal reserve raised its benchmark interest rate Wednesday for the first time since 2023 – defying President Trump’s demand for a cut. The quarter-point increase could result in higher borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards.

AAA says gas is averaging $4.11 per gallon. Grocery prices are also up. Some supporters believe they are still doing better financially under the Trump administration.

“Well, he’s made a few mistakes, but overall, I think he’s doing a good job. Made a lot of promises. He’s kept most of them,” Wendy Necessary Gastonia Resident said.

President Trump says a win for Whatley means safer streets and better economic outcomes.

“If we lose we’re going to lose the border, going to lose your tax cuts you’re going to lose your wealth and our country is going to go through hell,” President Trump said.

President Trump said he’d be back in North Carolina before November.

While Trump visited North Carolina, democrats had a counter rally in Gastonia.
“Over $4 a gallon for gas right now is just painful, and it’s been painful ever since the conflict in Iran started. It cost me $70 to fill up my car yesterday,” Alexis Stadler, a North Carolina mom said.
Democrats say Michael Whatley will profit off of people if he is elected as a U.S. Senator.
“While the war drives up gas prices for us, Big Oil companies are raking in record profits. Their stakeholders – like Michael Whatley – are profiting off our pain at the pump,: Stadler said. “How can someone represent us in the U.S. Senate when they are pushing for policies and actions that allow them to financially benefit from our pain?”