Trump campaigns for Whatley in NC, repeats false crime claims about Cooper

President Donald Trump campaigned alongside Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley in Gastonia, North Carolina, on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, delivering a speech focused on crime and the economy as part of a broader midterm election effort. The event at Gastonia Municipal Airport centered on attacking Whatley's opponent, former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper, with repeated claims about Cooper's record on public safety. Trump characterized North Carolina's cities as "blood-soaked killing fields" and alleged that Cooper, during his time as governor, released 3,500 inmates, including murderers. These claims omit key context. The releases were part of a 2021 court-ordered settlement to a civil rights lawsuit filed during the COVID-19 pandemic, which sought to reduce infection risk in state prisons. A judge had previously ruled the plaintiffs were likely to win the case and ordered a solution to protect inmates. Trump and Whatley also blamed Cooper for the August 2025 murder of Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee, by DeCarlos Brown Jr. They linked Brown's release to the 2021 settlement.