President Donald Trump's supporters in North Carolina are venting their frustration over the problematic candidate he's decided should be their senator.
Michael Whatley, the former head of the Republican National Committee, is fighting to claim the seat currently held by U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis despite trailing behind the popular former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper in the polls.
On Wednesday, MS NOW’s Jake Traylor spoke with self-identified Trump voters in Gastonia, ahead of the president's campaign rally there, to find out what bothers voters about Whatley.
“I don't like Whatley's ads," voter Fred Abromitis told Traylor. "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.”
Speaking with two women who claim they voted for Trump, Traylor asked, “Do you think it's wise for Whatley to attach himself to Trump? Is that going to work for him in this state?”
“It might, it might,” one replied. “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.”
Traylor then shared his takeaway from an off-camera conversation he had with a conservative couple that said they'd voted for Trump three times.
"I asked them, 'Are you planning to support Whatley?'" Traylor said. "They both started walking away. The husband said, ‘We don't talk politics.’ The wife privately turned to me and mouthed, ‘No, no, no’ to supporting Whatley three different times.”
Traylor admitted he found the encounter telling.
“That kind of speaks to, at least, the enthusiasm we've experienced in this parking lot in Gastonia today," he said. "There might be some reluctant people that are Republicans showing up for Whatley. But there's an enthusiasm issue here.”
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