“Pretend I’m On The Ticket”: Trump Rallies For Michael Whatley In Pivotal North Carolina Senate Race

Donald Trump returned to the campaign trail on Wednesday in Gastonia, North Carolina, urging voters to "pretend I'm on the ticket" as he campaigned for Republican Senate nominee Michael Whatley. Speaking at the Gastonia municipal airport, Trump sought to energize the MAGA base and position Whatley as the GOP's law-and-order candidate in a closely watched contest.

Race Context

With Republican Senator Thom Tillis retiring, the open North Carolina seat has become a top battleground. Democrats view the race as one of several opportunities to flip a Senate seat that could be decisive for control of the chamber during the next two years. To take the Senate, Democrats must win at least four Republican-held seats.

Key Messages From The Rally

Trump cast the vote as a referendum on Democratic former governor Roy Cooper, accusing Cooper of being further left than he appears. "He tries to pretend he's a moderate," Trump said. "He's not." He praised Whatley, the former Republican National Committee chair, calling him a "ball-breaker" and "one of the greatest men I ever worked with in government." Whatley returned the praise, calling Trump the "greatest president of our lifetime."

"I'm not bragging, but when I'm on the ticket Republicans have always done really well. I just want you to go out and pretend I'm on the ticket, because essentially I am," Trump told supporters.

Contested Claims And Controversy

Trump repeatedly attacked Cooper's record on public safety, invoking the killing of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska and alleging — without evidence — that Cooper had released the man arrested and charged in the case, Decarlos Brown Jr. The campaign's assertion has been widely disputed and is described in reporting as false.

At one point Trump explicitly compared his campaign tactics to the racially charged "Willie Horton" attack ads from 1988, invoking the notorious example to paint Cooper as weak on crime. He also declared Whatley the "candidate of law and order," saying he favored criminals being "executed, arrested or deported."

Democratic Response

Local Democrats held a news conference earlier in the day to rebut Trump's claims and to criticize Whatley for supporting Trump's agenda. Democratic State Senator Woodson Bradley asked why Whatley would back policies — including military action that critics say could raise costs — at a time when families are already struggling with high prices.

Economics And The Fed

Trump also attacked the Federal Reserve after it raised its benchmark interest rate by a quarter-point on Wednesday — the Fed's first increase since 2023 — arguing that rates remain too high. Speaking on the tarmac before the rally, he called the Fed "very hostile" to him and labeled its officials "a bunch of politicians."

Trump's appearance was intended to mobilize his loyal supporters and translate that energy into votes for Whatley in a state where independent voters and concerns about the economy and public safety could determine the outcome.

Reporting note: Robert Mackey contributed reporting.