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Just dropped · Trial Balloon · Ep. 193

The Magnificent Seven

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Trial Balloon · Ep. 193: The Magnificent Seven

Michael Whatley Sticks by Trump

September 25, 2026 · 6:20 am ET · Leave a Comment

“If any Republican Senate nominee is sticking to the tried-and-true strategy of elections past — winning by embracing President Trump — it is Michael Whatley of North Carolina,” the New York Times reports.

“He spoke at Mr. Trump’s midterm convention. He stood by the Iran war. He opposed blanket pauses on building new data centers.”

“Some of his counterparts in other battleground states have been doing the opposite, seeking distance from Mr. Trump as prices surge and the president’s popularity keeps slumping. Not so Mr. Whatley, who welcomed visits last week and this week from Mr. Trump and Vice President JD Vance, a distinction no other Republican Senate candidate can claim.”

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2026 Campaign, Senate

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Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire -- which for more than two decades has been one of the nation's most influential political news sites.

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