President Trump is traveling to North Carolina to stump for Republican Senate nominee Michael Whatley. CBS News chief White House correspondent Nancy Cordes spoke with Whatley ahead of the president's appearance.
Page F3From§Eachthe late evening edition — 16 September 2026
Farmer raises tariffs and gas prices, campaign answers by blaming communists for crime
“Guy calls himself a trucker, then the paperwork says $100 grand on a private jet — that's the tell, that's the whole con in one line. Farmer asks a straight question about gas and tariffs, and instead of an answer he gets 'communists,' like that pays for diesel. Your gas bill's not partisan, it's just a bill, and nobody up on that stage is picking it up.”
“Private aviation is standard practice for any serious statewide campaign, it's about efficiency, not — okay, the everyman thing might've been a stretch, I'll give you that one. But crime is a legitimate issue voters care about, and if the previous administration's policies contributed to — look, communism is a real political tradition with real adherents, somewhere, I'm sure, the point is optics aren't the story here, the point is — did I just defend the jet? Forget the jet.”
Earlier in this story
- Truck-driving everyman Senate hopeful skips the truck, spends over $100,000 flying private jet By Ruth · the early evening edition, 16 September 2026
The receipts
President Donald Trump is headed to North Carolina on Wednesday to rally for Republican Senate nominee Michael Whatley. THESE STATES WILL MAKE OR BREAK A SENATE MAJORITY IN NOVEMBER Trump is set to take the stage at 7 p.m., marking his first appearance as a candidate since the Republican National Committee’s first-of-its-kind midterm…
President Donald Trump on Wednesday ripped into former North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and his “band of communists” for crime in the state, branding his chosen candidate in the Tarheel State Senate race, Michael Whatley, as tough on crime.
President Trump will stump for GOP Senate nominee Michael Whatley in North Carolina on Wednesday evening, seeking to rally support for the former Republican National Committee chair. Whatley is running against former Gov. Roy Cooper (D) for the seat currently held by Sen.
North Carolina Senate nominee Michael Whatley’s committees have spent over $100,000 for use of a private jet linked to a convicted felon
Michael Whatley, the Republican nominee for Senate in North Carolina, released an ad stating that he has “driven thousands of miles across North Carolina trying to fix our country and help working families.” But campaign finance filings reveal that Whatley’s campaign committees have spent over $100,000 since last September on travel in a…
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