Republican U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley used to vocally embrace President Trump, who won North Carolina three times.
But at a campaign event Thursday in Gastonia, Whatley barely mentioned him at all.
The contrast was clear in a previous appearance in the same city. A year ago, Whatley kicked off his Senate campaign in Gastonia, and in an 18-minute speech, he mentioned Trump at least 10 times.
“With the complete and total endorsement of President Donald Trump, I am running to be next Senator from the great state of North Carolina,” Whatley said to applause.
He said voters could choose Democrats, “or are we going to continue the great gains we have seen with President Trump and a Republican House and Senate?”
And when discussing immigration, he said he supported “the Trump administration’s efforts to deport violent illegal aliens.”
That was during the primary, when Whatley had to focus on the Republican base. Trump’s approval rating then was underwater, though not much worse than where it was at the same point in his first term. Trump won North Carolina in 2024, as well as in 2016 and 2020.
But now, things are much worse. Trump’s approval ratings are at record lows and far worse than President Biden’s were.
That reality was on display Thursday when Whatley was back in Gastonia, campaigning before about two dozen supporters at manufacturer Trick Tank.
“Hey, it is great to be here in Gaston County and I want to welcome everybody to my corner of the world,” Whatley said.
The event lasted 25 minutes and featured two businessmen and Republican state Rep. Donnie Loftis. They did not mention Trump by name.
Whatley spoke for about 14 minutes. He said Trump’s name only twice to credit him for Hurricane Helene relief.
“We got a lot more work to do,” Whatley said. “But I’m really honored that President Trump asked me to help, and I’m honored that he put me on the FEMA review council so we can recommend policies to him to ensure that we never have a disaster like we did in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.”
Only one supporter in the crowd wore Trump merchandise — a MAGA hat.
During a question-and-answer session with reporters, a reporter asked Whatley whether he needs to distance himself from Trump to win.
Instead of embracing the president, Whatley turned to his Democratic opponent.
“Well, I think to win, I think we need to draw a contrast with Roy Cooper,” Whatley said. “The fact is, this guy was the worst governor in the history of North Carolina. This guy raised prices based on everything here in North Carolina.”
There was one moment when Whatley did fully back the president, after being asked whether he supports Trump’s attacks on Iran, even as they pushed oil back above $100 a barrel.
This time, Whatley did not pivot to Cooper or the Democrats.
“I absolutely support the president and his decision to ensure that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,” Whatley said.
Jason Williams, executive director of the North Carolina Faith and Freedom Coalition, attended Whatley’s event in Gastonia.
When asked about Whatley talking about Trump less, Williams said the president still has strong support within the GOP.
“I don’t know if there is a change. I think the president still has overwhelming approval and support from the base of the party,” Williams said.
But what about unaffiliated voters, the biggest single group in North Carolina? Many may have voted for Trump in 2024 but are less enthusiastic now.
“I don’t know that he’s talking about the president less, but that he’s talking about these North Carolina-specific issues more,” Williams said.
Most polls have shown Cooper with a near double-digit lead. Analysts say the North Carolina Senate race is already leaning Democratic. For Whatley, the question is whether holding an unpopular president a little less closely is enough to change that.
