Trump rallies for Whatley in Greenville as Cooper holds wide poll and cash leads

President Donald Trump rallied Republicans in Greenville, N.C., on Tuesday night, urging voters to back Michael Whatley over Democrat Roy Cooper in the state's open U.S. Senate race, two weeks before the Nov. 3 election.

It was Trump's second North Carolina rally in about two months, following a Sept. 16 stop in Gastonia, WRAL News reported. Vice President JD Vance campaigned with Whatley in Hendersonville a day earlier.

What Trump said

Trump called Cooper, a former two-term governor, a liberal and waved off recent surveys as fake polls, according to WRAL. He repeated his promise of $5,000 payments to Americans if Republicans keep Congress.

He also said the Department of War would invest $1.5 billion in semiconductor production in North Carolina, Fox News reported. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said quartz supplier Sibelco plans to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in the state.

Democrats respond

Gov. Josh Stein, campaigning for legislative candidates in the east, blamed tariffs and the Iran war for higher costs, WRAL reported.

The race by the numbers

Source: WRAL News

Whatley has suspended campaign-funded TV ads, and Republican groups have shifted ad money away from the race, WRAL reported. Democratic early voting is running about 53% above the 2022 midterm pace, while Republican early voting is down about 7%.

In northeastern North Carolina, WRAL described the House race between Democratic Rep. Don Davis and Republican Laurie Buckhout as a dead heat.