Trump Campaigns for Michael Whatley in North Carolina

President Donald J. Trump held a campaign rally in Gastonia, North Carolina, on Wednesday to support Republican U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley. During the event, Trump characterized North Carolina as one of the most violent states in the nation and accused Democratic opponent and former Governor Roy Cooper of being soft on crime. Trump specifically alleged that Cooper released 3,500 criminals during the COVID-19 pandemic and invoked the 1988 Willie Horton advertisement to link Cooper's policies to the 2025 killing of Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte.

These claims were disputed by the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction and the Cooper campaign. Records indicate that the suspect in the Zarutska case, Decarlos Brown Jr., was released by a magistrate after Cooper left office, not through a prison-release deal. Additionally, a Newsweek analysis of FBI data showed North Carolina's 2025 violent crime rate was below the national average, and a White House press release stated crime had actually fallen in the state.

Trump also criticized Cooper's response to Hurricane Helene in 2024, while claiming to have delivered over $2 billion in FEMA funding. In response, the Cooper campaign alleged that Whatley failed as federal recovery czar, claiming Western North Carolina received only 15% of necessary funding. Trump urged voters to pretend he was on the ballot to drive turnout, as Elon University polling shows Cooper holding a double-digit lead. Simultaneously, Trump's MAGA Inc. super PAC has booked approximately $138 million in advertisements to support Republican midterm candidates.