President Donald Trump on Friday acknowledged concerns about the electoral prospects of North Carolina Republican Senate nominee Michael Whatley, moments after the leading Senate GOP super PAC scrapped millions in planned advertising in the state.
“I think he’s a great man, and I am worried about him,” Trump told reporters on the South Lawn before departing for a campaign rally in Alabama. “I hope he wins. He was a great leader for the whole Republican Party when I won, and he’d be a great senator.”
The remarks came as the Senate Leadership Fund, the super PAC aligned with Senate Republican leadership, canceled $6.5 million in ad reservations in North Carolina on Friday — a significant retreat in a state once seen as a key battleground for control of the Senate.
Public polling has shown Whatley, the former North Carolina GOP chairman, trailing Democratic nominee Roy Cooper, the state’s former governor. A Catawba College and YouGov survey released this week put Cooper ahead by 10 percentage points. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the contest as “lean Democrat.”
The ad cancellation and Trump’s comments underscore growing Republican anxiety about holding the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R). Democrats need a net gain of four seats to win the Senate majority, or three if Vice President JD Vance casts the tie-breaking vote. North Carolina is a prime pickup opportunity for Democrats, and Cooper’s sustained lead has forced Republicans to divert resources to other states.
Trump and Vice President JD Vance both campaigned with Whatley in North Carolina last month, hoping to boost his standing. But the race has not tightened, and the super PAC’s decision to pull funding suggests that national Republicans may be recalibrating their strategy.
The Senate Leadership Fund’s move does not necessarily mean Republicans have given up on Whatley. The group could re-enter the race later, but the cancellation frees up money for other competitive Senate contests. Republicans are defending seats in Ohio, Montana, and Pennsylvania, among others, and are trying to flip Democratic-held seats in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Nevada.
Trump’s worry about Whatley also comes as the president is dealing with a range of other political challenges, from stumping in Alabama amid disappointing jobs data to legal scrutiny over taxpayer-funded ads. His comments on Whatley may reflect a broader concern about Republican fortunes in the midterms.
For now, Whatley faces an uphill battle against Cooper, a well-known figure in North Carolina politics who has consistently led in polls. The coming weeks will show whether Trump’s concern translates into additional support or whether Republicans are preparing to cut their losses in the Tar Heel State.
