President Donald Trump told voters at a rally near Charlotte, North Carolina, to "pretend I'm on the ticket, because essentially I am," in what The Logoff newsletter described as his first major post-primary rally of the 2026 midterms. Republican Michael Whatley will face former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper in November for an open US Senate seat, the newsletter reported.
Trump urges North Carolina voters to 'pretend I'm on the ticket' at first post-primary rally
President Donald Trump told voters at a rally near Charlotte, North Carolina, to "pretend I'm on the ticket, because essentially I am," in what The Logoff newsletter described as his first major post-primary rally of the 2026 midterms. Republican Michael Whatley will face former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper in November for an open US Senate seat, the newsletter reported.
The newsletter said the rally was Trump's first major campaign event of the post-primary season, setting aside a Republican midterm convention held the previous week, which the newsletter described as unusual and said was not a Trump rally. The newsletter reported that fewer than 50 days remain until the midterm elections.
Trump's MAGA Inc. super PAC and related entities had booked ads totaling $138 million as of earlier in the week, the newsletter reported, adding that the figure could continue to grow. MAGA Inc. has around $400 million in the bank, and The Washington Post reported earlier in the month that Trump had a long list of other things he could spend that money on instead of the midterms, such as legal fees, travel, or an eventual presidential library, according to the newsletter.
The newsletter said the political map looks fairly dire for Republican hopes, noting that little time remains before voters go to the polls and that some mail-in ballots are already going out; North Carolina voters began receiving theirs earlier in the month.
The newsletter said polls suggest Trump is deeply unpopular with voters and is more likely to drag a Republican ticket down than to boost it, and that Trump is not doing himself any favors. It cited fuel shortages caused by the Iran war that it said are only getting worse, polls it said suggest he has picked the wrong side of the AI issue, and voters it described as still extremely angry about inflation.
- The source does not give the calendar date of the North Carolina rally, describing it only as taking place the previous night.
- The source does not identify the polls it cites on Trump's popularity with voters, the AI issue, or inflation, and does not name their sponsors, samples, or margins.
- The source does not state over what period the $138 million in ads was booked, or how much of that amount has been spent.
- The source does not specify what position it says Trump has taken on the AI issue.
- The source does not describe the scale of the fuel shortages it attributes to the Iran war, or the basis for linking them to the war.
- The source does not name the Republican midterm convention's organizers or its date, beyond stating it was held the previous week.