An "America First" candidate running for the Senate in North Carolina has been caught selling merchandise made in China, according to a new report.
Michael Whatley has been giving supporters drink koozies that were made in China, according to a Daily Beast report. The koozies appear to be linked to a campaign expense exceeding $1,600 that Whatley's team noted in a recent Federal Elections Commission filing, the report added.
Whatley is also not the only America First candidate caught selling merchandise made in China. President Donald Trump has also sold merchandise made in countries ranging from China to Haiti and Nicaragua, both in his private businesses and his political campaigns.
Voice of America News reported in 2024 that some Trump merchandise, such as his “Make America Great Again” Trump hat or “Childless Cat Lady for Harris” shirts, was made in China.
Whatley has been an outspoken critic of China during his career, according to the Daily Beast. For instance, Whatley sharply criticized China in 2021 for harming American workers by flooding markets with cheaply manufactured goods. He has also supported Trump's tariffs against China during the second Trump administration, according to the report.
Trump himself has also described Whatley as a patriot who will fight to “Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A.," the report noted.
