Trump 'desperate' as GOP voters revolt against his handpicked candidate

In order to take control of the U.S. Senate in the 2026 midterms, Democrats will need to flip four GOP-held seats while holding all the seats they're defending. And one race Democratic strategists are feeling optimistic about is North Carolina's U.S. Senate battle — which, according to the Daily Beast's Laura Esposito, is becoming a major source of humiliation and embarrassment for President Donald Trump.

In North Carolina, Trump is backing the GOP's U.S. Senate nominee, Michael Whatley, who, according to some polls, is now trailing his Democratic opponent, former Gov. Roy Cooper, by double digits. Esposito, in the Daily Beast, emphasizes that GOP voters are feeling very disappointed by Whatley — despite Trump's endorsement.

"Trump's backing appears to be doing little to sway key voters," Esposito explains. "During interviews with MS NOW's Jack Traylor, several North Carolina voters expressed a lack of interest in — and even disdain for — Whatley."

North Carolina resident Fred Abromitis, who voted for Trump in 2024, finds Whatley's campaign ads unconvincing.

Abromitis told MS NOW, "I think they're misleading, if not full of lies. I don't like what he stands for; he says he's for lower taxes, (but) everybody can say that. But doing it is another thing."

Esposito notes that Abromitis' criticism "isn't the first time Whatley has been accused of being disingenuous."

"In May, the 'America First' Republican was called out by the Daily Beast for spending more than $1600 on campaign merchandise made in China," according to Esposito. "While it's not uncommon for merchandise to be made cheaply overseas, Whatley has loudly advocated for bringing manufacturing back to the U.S. In 2021, when Whatley was still the chairman of the North Carolina GOP, he said that through Trump's 'America first agenda,' the Republican Party has been 'tough on China,' in a way that is 'making sure that our economic policies are creating jobs for the working class Americans across the board.'"

A female North Carolina voter told MS NOW that Whatley is making a mistake by running as a Trump ally at a time when the president's popularity is so low.

The voter told MS NOW, "I don't think it's wise, but he's still got a lot of people that are connected to him for reasons I don't really understand, when his approval ratings are going down."

Trump's North Carolina visit, Esposito argues, shows how worried he is about Whatley's campaign.

"Trump, for his part, has praised Whatley throughout his Senate run, calling him an 'America First Patriot' who will 'Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A.," according to the Daily Beast reporter. "Trump's desperate trip to North Carolina comes as Republicans brace for a big blue wave come November. A bombshell New York Times poll on Tuesday reinforced that belief, showing Democrats have a significant advantage over Republicans with less than 50 days until the midterms. According to a New York Times/Siena University poll, likely voters favored Democratic over Republican candidates for Congress by nearly nine percentage points."