President Trump Returns to North Carolina to Boost GOP Senate Candidate Michael Whatley

Arriving in North Carolina on Air Force One, Trump told reporters during impromptu remarks on the airport tarmac that Senate Candidate Michael Whatley will "bring us back to sanity."

Democrats have not won a Senate contest in the state since 2008, and Trump has carried North Carolina three times since. The seat is critical to Democrats' effort to flip control of the Senate. Term-limited North Carolina Democrat Governor Roy Cooper was perhaps Democrats' best recruit this cycle, having never lost a statewide race in North Carolina through four terms as attorney general and two terms as governor.

The campaign is shaping up to be the most expensive in North Carolina history. According to data from AdImpact, which tracks campaign advertising, reported by PBS, total Republican spending on the contest has topped $50 million, while Democrats have spent almost $35.2 million, with Trump's MAGA Inc. and other conservative PACs accounting for the overall Republican advantage.

During the first of what promises to be many similar campaign stops, President Trump delivered a simple message: North Carolinians are better off with Republican leadership. 

According to an email from the White House press office, since taking office, the Trump Administration has driven crime down, put money back in workers’ pockets, and unleashed a wave of advanced manufacturing, pharmaceutical, aerospace, and AI investment across the Tar Heel State.

Making North Carolina Safe Again

The Trump Administration is restoring law and order — and the numbers prove it.

• Nationwide, 2025 saw the largest annual drop in violent crime on record — a trend that continues to accelerate this year.
• In North Carolina, crime fell across all four major categories in the first half of this year compared with the same period last year, including a 12.4% drop in murders, an 18% drop in robberies, and a 23% drop in motor vehicle thefts. Violent crime and motor vehicle thefts also fell in 2025 compared with 2024, including an 18% drop in homicides, a 21% drop in motor vehicle thefts, a 20% drop in robberies, and a 14% drop in aggravated assaults.
• In Charlotte, overall crime fell 9% in 2025 and violent crime fell 21%, including a 13% drop in homicides, a 24% drop in robberies, and a 20% drop in aggravated assaults. In the first half of 2026, overall crime fell another 16%, violent crime fell 8%, and property crime fell 17%.
• In Raleigh, violent crime and property crime dropped in the second quarter of this year compared with last year, including a 33% drop in homicides.
• In Wilmington, overall crime fell 16% in 2025, with violent crime down 17% and motor vehicle theft down 22%.
• The Trump Administration is swiftly removing the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from North Carolina, with Operation Charlotte’s Web alone producing more than 1,300 arrests.

Tax Relief for North Carolina Workers, Families, and Seniors

President Trump’s and Republicans’ historic Working Families Tax Cuts are putting money back where it belongs: in the pockets of the people who earned it.

• No Tax on Social Security: About 1.9 million North Carolina seniors benefit from the new senior deduction.
• Bigger Refunds: This filing season delivered larger refunds nationwide, with the average refund up more than 11%. In North Carolina, taxpayers saw average refunds of $3,542.
• Rural Health Investments: North Carolina secured $213 million in first-year Rural Health Transformation Program funding — improving care for more than 3 million rural residents and supporting more than 400 rural health facilities. The state is positioned for nearly $1 billion over the next five years.
• Protecting Jobs, Wages, and Growth: The Working Families Tax Cuts safeguarded 184,000 North Carolina jobs, $33 billion in state GDP, and $17 billion in workers’ wages.

An Investment Boom Across North Carolina

The Tar Heel State is winning in advanced manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, biotechnology, steel, and the infrastructure of the AI economy.

• Amazon is investing $10 billion to expand cloud computing and AI infrastructure in Richmond County, creating at least 500 high-skilled jobs and supporting thousands more.
• JetZero is investing $4.7 billion to build a commercial airplane factory in Greensboro, creating about 14,560 jobs — the largest job announcement in state history.
• Johnson & Johnson is investing $2 billion to build a manufacturing campus in Wilson, creating more than 500 high-wage manufacturing jobs and thousands of construction jobs.
• Genentech is investing $2 billion to expand its biomanufacturing facility in Holly Springs, supporting more than 500 manufacturing jobs and 1,500 construction jobs.
• Biogen is investing $2 billion to expand manufacturing in North Carolina’s Research Triangle.
• AbbVie is investing $1.4 billion to build a 185-acre pharmaceutical manufacturing campus in Durham, creating nearly 750 permanent jobs and more than 2,000 construction jobs.
• Prysmian is investing $1 billion to expand its cable manufacturing facility in Catawba County, creating 385 jobs.
• Vaxcyte is committing up to $1 billion to expand manufacturing and grow its workforce in the state.
• Merck is investing $1 billion to build a new manufacturing facility in North Carolina.
• US Forged Rings is investing $875 million to build a new production site in Hertford County, creating 625 jobs.
• Novartis is investing $771 million to expand pharmaceutical manufacturing in North Carolina.
• STERIS is investing $600 million to build a manufacturing and distribution hub in Sanford, creating 335 jobs.
• Coinbase is opening a new office in Charlotte, creating 130 new jobs.

Results for All North Carolinians

President Trump is fighting for North Carolina workers, honoring the state’s military legacy, and delivering where previous Administrations failed.

• Protecting North Carolina’s Furniture Industry: President Trump imposed Section 232 tariffs on imported wood products, including 25% on upholstered wooden furniture, 25% on kitchen cabinets and vanities, and 10% on softwood timber and lumber.
• Honoring North Carolina’s Military Legacy: In 2025, the Trump Administration restored Fort Bragg — the U.S. Army’s largest post — to its original name, honoring Private Roland L. Bragg, who earned a Silver Star and Purple Heart for his courage at the Battle of the Bulge.
• Delivering After Hurricane Helene: After the previous Administration botched the response, the Trump Administration has provided more than $7.5 billion in federal disaster recovery funding to help North Carolina rebuild.
• Recognizing the Lumbee Tribe: President Trump delivered full federal recognition to the great Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina — fulfilling a promise he made on the campaign trail.

Thanks to President Trump and Republicans in Congress, North Carolina is stronger, safer, and more prosperous. North Carolinians now face a clear choice: build on the gains Republicans have delivered, or hand Radical Left Democrats the power to reverse them and bring the chaos back.