Latest news with #pro-Trump
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
MAGA Pulls Bonkers 180 on Ghislaine Maxwell to Help Trump
In an apparent effort to get out ahead of Ghislaine Maxwell's testimony, Donald Trump's media allies have decided to saddle up beside the prolific sex trafficker. The Justice Department is reportedly meeting with Maxwell on Thursday and Friday, ahead of her scheduled deposition with the House Oversight Committee on August 11. The interviews follow weeks of mounting pressure on Trump from his base, who have clamored for more transparency regarding the Epstein files after the Justice Department contradicted prior statements from Attorney General Pam Bondi on the existence of Jeffrey Epstein's supposed client list. Offering Maxwell as fodder to Trump's hungry followers is a fascinating carrot-and-stick option to alleviate some of that tension, but convincing her to talk would almost certainly require some kind of deal—an option that pro-Trump conservative media networks started to imagine this week. On Monday, Newsmax host Greg Kelly had already started to dabble in the new media line, suggesting on air that Maxwell didn't deserve her 20-year prison sentence and openly embracing the idea that the Epstein associate could be wrongly convicted. 'And then he's got that girlfriend, Ghislaine—Ghislaine Maxwell,' Kelly said. 'Right? She's in jail right now for, like, 40 years or something crazy.' Maxwell is eligible for release in July 2037. 'And maybe she deserves it. Maybe she doesn't. Again, not a very popular thing, but we'll take a look,' Kelly told his viewers, even questioning if the child sex abuser had been legally tried in court. (She was.) 'She just might be a victim. She just might be,' Kelly said. 'How do you defend yourself?' he continued. 'This is in the height of #MeToo. Does that sound right? Does that sound—maybe it's legal.' The 56-year-old former Fox & Friends co-host, who was investigated in 2012 on his own rape charges, also aired a clip of former Epstein attorney Alan Dershowitz, who claimed that Maxwell 'shouldn't be' behind bars. 'She is really serving Jeffrey Epstein's sentence after he committed suicide,' Dershowitz said. 'There was no one else to prosecute … so they went after her, and they sentenced her to a sentence that would have been appropriate for Epstein but not at all appropriate for her.' Maxwell was sentenced in 2022 for playing an active role in Epstein's crimes, identifying and grooming vulnerable young women while normalizing their abuse as Epstein's longtime girlfriend and associate. 'She deserves to be out,' Dershowitz said, which Kelly repeated to his viewers. But Kelly wasn't the only conservative personality who had bought into the unsavory angle. Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk—who capitulated to Trump last week when the MAGA leader ordered Kirk to stop discussing the matter as it riled his base—claimed that deposing Maxwell was 'definitely' something that is 'worthy of praise' and 'encouragement.' 'Maybe she wants immunity, maybe she wants some sort of protection, I don't know,' Charlie Kirk said on his show Tuesday. 'We just want the truth.… Some people say, 'Can we trust Ghislaine Maxwell?' Probably, but also probably not.' But not everyone on the right has bought in. Laura Loomer claimed last week that it wouldn't be long 'before some lobbyists try to cook up a possible pardon campaign' for the imprisoned sex offender. And Whitney Webb similarly warned that the Trump administration's renewed interest in Maxwell was suspicious, claiming that scapegoating the Epstein associate would be the perfect way 'to both avoid releasing the bulk of Epstein documents still held by the government and still seem like they are pursuing 'justice' in the case.' 'This could also pave the way for the 'Pardon Ghislaine' movement,' Webb, a prominent conspiracy theorist, wrote on X Tuesday, theorizing that Maxwell would only unveil the names she's instructed to so that she doesn't end up like Epstein. Meanwhile, Trump was almost undoubtedly in Epstein's universe. On Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Justice Department had notified Trump in May that his name appeared several times in the Epstein files. Prior to his death, Epstein described himself as one of Trump's 'closest friends.' The socialites were named and photographed together several times, Trump allegedly penned a salacious letter to Epstein for the pedophile's 50th birthday, the real estate mogul reportedly flew on Epstein's jets between Palm Beach and New York at least seven times, and the first time that Trump slept with his now-wife Melania was reportedly aboard Epstein's plane, nicknamed the 'Lolita Express.' In a 2002 New York magazine profile of Epstein, Trump said he had known Epstein for 15 years and referred to him as a 'terrific guy.' 'It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side,' Trump said at the time.
Cosmopolitan
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
Meet the new wave of femininity influencers who want you to abandon feminism as you know it
In the recording studio, Allie Beth Stuckey sits on a cream sofa, her blonde hair perfectly tousled. She leans into the microphone and speaks. She's chatty and fun, interspersing the serious with the silly and, at first glance, she's just like any other podcaster. In many ways, Stuckey's entire brand is built on being a regular 'girl's girl'. Her hair is impeccably blow-dried, she hates matcha, wears floral dresses and throws in pop culture references like she's just another millennial onthe group chat. Her podcast is called Relatable – and that's exactly what she wants to be to her listeners. But Stuckey isn't just here to chat. She's here to convert. There's a new women's movement emerging; one directly reacting to all that's come before it. Those who are part of it – to varying degrees – believe that decades of feminism have harmed us and made us more miserable, and that marriage, modesty and motherhood is the way out of our discontent. Stuckey is at the more radical end of the scale: her podcast is unapologetically right-wing and Christian, encouraging women to lean out of all that we've been taught and let men take charge again. Many episodes involve deep dives into scripture and the promotion of 'biblical womanhood', a belief about gender norms and women's role in society drawn from interpretations of the Bible. Others centre around political discussion, often focusing on abortion, which Stuckey opposes in all circumstances. She lightens the tone with edgy and sarcastic takedowns of pop culture and discussions on parenting. Stuckey seems to see herself as the evangelical Christian who dishes out hard truths. And 'the truth is – and this is uncomfortable and unpopular to say – most of our problems in society… are caused by premarital and extramarital sex', she said on stage to an audience of over 2,500 at the Young Women's Leadership Summit in June 2024 (an annual conference for conservatives, organised by pro-Trump organisation Turning Point USA). Then there's fellow podcaster, 'Cuteservative' and self-professed Swiftie Alex Clark. She hosts the Turning Point-sponsored POPlitics (think: anti-woke pop culture roundup) and Culture Apothecary, a health and wellness podcast that aims to 'heal a sick culture – physically, emotionally and spiritually.' When I talk to Clark over the phone, she's candid and direct, speaking with very little hesitation. Her audience, according to her own figures, is around 95% female, and predominantly composed of women aged 25 to 35 who (she tells me) extend well beyond conservatives. 'When I started focusing on health and wellness exclusively, my audience exploded,' she says. 'Covering health and wellness is a great way to welcome people in,' Clark adds, 'I don't hide the fact that I'm conservative. People may not agree with that at first, but they agree with me on the health stuff and then they get to know me… and they're like, 'Well, maybe conservatism isn't that scary. She seems really normal, she seems like a girl I could be friends with,' because I probably am. But they've been sold this lie that conservative women are super scary and that we have no mind of our own, so it introduces them to conservatism in a way that's non-aggressive and is very palatable.' And being palatable is key. Both Stuckey and Clark promote traditional Christian marriage, oppose abortion and berate hormonal contraception. They sell a lifestyle that looks very close to that of 'tradwives' – content creators (largely populating Instagram and TikTok) dressed in Betty Draper-esque aprons, who encourage women to stay at home, cook everything they eat from scratch and obey their husbands. But they are realists and – a cynic might say – they understand that rejecting the trad-wifery of current discourse is a way for them to appeal to a wider audience. Stuckey has even gone as far as saying that some tradwife content lacks moral substance and has referred to it as 'straight-up 1950s fetishised cosplay'. 'The tradwife fantasy of total submission is not appealing to women with a bit of life experience,' says Dr Annie Kelly, a researcher at King's College London who has followed tradwives and anti-feminist communities. Instead, many of these content creators are peddling a seemingly more open-minded exterior, often with the same archaic values lurking underneath. They 'give some intellectual grounding for the trad lifestyle' and gradually make it more flexible and realistically attractive, explains Dr Kelly. As Clark herself admits, it's a similar story with the topic of health and wellness. Her 'palatable', girl-next-door approach to discussing hormonal birth control, for example, is 'a great way to welcome people in'. But Culture Apothecary is largely a one-stop scroll of alternative health and contrarian medical discourse. Some of the guests on Clark's podcast have included the vaccine-sceptic paediatrician Dr Bob Sears (who promotes an 'alternative vaccine schedule') and the influencer Dr Paul Saladino, a red-meat evangelist who's said that his list of dating deal- breakers includes women who wear perfume and take hormonal birth control. Threaded through all of the crunchy health talk is a clear message: feminism has made women unhappy, hormonal birth control is harming them and we all need to return to the concept of the traditional family unit. 'I think that women are going to be turning more conservative because men are,' explains Clark. 'Women crave a man who actually leads and stands up, and is a man and is masculine. We've had this decade of men succumbing to women and letting women take the lead – I don't think that's working out well... Women will fall in line and let the men take that role again.' The UK doesn't have the evangelical tradition of the US and it's easy to assume that we're immune: too secular and savvy. But tradwife content is growing at a steady pace here, too. Some social media accounts that commentators have associated with the tradwife movement have amassed millions of followers. Louise Perry apologises for being late for our call and explains she has two small children at home. She has escaped to a cafe to work on her new book – 'It's going slowly,' she tells me. The juggle feels familiar. Perry and I are one year apart, and like her, I know all too well the balancing act that goes into writing and taking care of a demanding toddler. Soft-spoken and articulate, Perry looks and sounds like a typical liberal, urban millennial. Perry is the host of the podcast Mother Maiden Matriarch and the author of The Case Against The Sexual Revolution, in which she argues that hookup culture, porn and kink positivity, which she ties to sex-positive and liberal feminism, have left women empty. For her, the fix is traditional sexual morality, with more marriage and less swiping on Tinder. Her book advises women to get (and stay) married, ditch porn and only have sex with men who would 'make good father material'. Perry, a well-known journalist who lives in London, didn't grow up watching Fox News or quoting scripture. In fact, her journey started at SOAS, one of Britain's most left-leaning universities. It was a disillusionment with liberal feminism that led her to what she calls 'reactionary feminism'. Popularised in 2021 by author Mary Harrington, reactionary feminists believe there are fundamental differences between the sexes and view traditional marriage and the nuclear family as supportive structures for women. Perry has also described herself as 'emotionally and intellectually drawn' to Christianity, and regularly makes reference to the Christian tradition when putting forwards a case for a return to monogamous marriage. But it's easy to nod along as she discusses the perils of dating apps and how unsafe we can feel when walking down the streets or spending time online. She's well versed in the issues facing young women today and her critiques of sexual objectification, pornography and the misery of dating apps echo arguments that have spread widely outside of conservative circles. From the 'Cancel Porn' TikTok trend to pop stars' criticism of the abuses of the porn industry, discontent with the current sexual culture has developed among millennial and Gen Z women. It's perhaps not surprising when we've grown up with unsolicited dick pics, non- consensual explicit deepfakes and media dominated by the male gaze. Perry also works with the charity We Can't Consent To This, which has campaigned around the problematic rough-sex murder defence. Freya India, 24, is another British content creator speaking to these genuine grievances of modern womanhood. Bro podcaster Chris Williamson (host of the popular British podcast Modern Wisdom) describes India as a 'younger, blonder Louise Perry'. Her Substack, Girls, has 40,000 subscribers and is dedicated to unpacking the (mostly online) lives of young women today. Her 'You Don't Need To Document Everything' essay went viral last year and was shared widely across social media, with many agreeing with her view that the impulse to post everything is 'ingrained in everyone now'. She speaks about problems that acutely affect Gen Z women, from mental health struggles to body dysmorphia and toxic beauty standards promoted by social media filters. Amid this, India also laments the fact that 'promiscuity has become so popular and normalised' that young women are pressured into sex and are 'lost' in our feminist, progressive and technology-addicted societies. Like Perry, she has described how she has become 'drawn to Christianity' despite a liberal and agnostic upbringing. While it might be easier for liberal-minded women to roll their eyes at Stuckey and Clark's not-so-hidden conservative agenda, the likes of Perry and India should act as a reminder that not all voices criticising modern feminism are built the same. And in a similar fashion, not all feminists agree on what's right for our future. How individuals live their lives is, of course, up to them. There's nothing intrinsically wrong with much of the lifestyles India and Perry are promoting. I'm married and have a child; both marriage and motherhood have brought me joy. You may – as I do – agree with some of what they have said or written. Being more conservative or reserved, or holding religious beliefs, certainly does not automatically equate to being either anti-feminist or right-wing in the extreme. The question is, what bigger political project do their views about gender roles serve, and what impact do they have on women's freedom? It brings me back to Clark's point about being palatable. Scratch beneath the surface of Perry's statements about women's discontent with hookup culture and porn, and her belief that pre-marital chastity and traditional marriage is for (nearly) everyone is clear. In sweeping statements based on findings gathered from the (contested) field of evolutionary psychology, she's argued that, on the whole, women feel 'disgust' after one-night-stands and that – barring a few outliers – women will find contentment and safety in traditional marriage. Her criticisms of consent culture, and her views that women often feel pressured into bad sex and violent pornographic scripts, may resonate. But her remedy is for everyone to just be 'a bit more normal', rather than to have nuanced conversations about the different forces that shape our desires and how we can expand our sexual freedoms (while acknowledging some of the harms that our sexual culture can cause). The palatable exterior doesn't hold up to closer scrutiny. Both India and Perry, for example, have described marriage as protective, despite the fact that the majority of sexual violence is perpetrated by partners and ex-partners, and that hundreds of women are killed by their partners each year. Like many conservatives, they think divorce has been trivialised. 'These days, divorce is seen as just another form of self- empowerment,' India has claimed, while Perry has stated that no-fault divorce 'has made wriggling out of a marriage easier than wriggling out of a bank loan'. Legal and women's rights experts have argued that no-fault divorce – which Perry opposes – provides important protection against domestic abuse and trauma, and can be vital for women on low incomes to be able to escape abusive and unhappy marriages. But these are smart women, who know young women are at crisis point right now and looking for answers. Answers they can promise to provide. On first glance, flicking through a copy of Evie, the magazine is similar to others found on the newsstand. But, look closer and the content comes with an ultra-conservative and 'anti-woke' twist. Articles in Evie praise conventional femininity, narrow standards of beauty ('body positivity is a cope'), and female modesty ('Kim Kardashian explains why she has chosen to dress less sexy'). It has sex tips, but with a catch, Evie encourages women to be sexually available but only to their husbands. (Articles containing sex tips come with the disclaimer 'for married women only' and include 'Mastering Cowgirl: How to Ride Your Husband Into Delirium' and 'The Feminine Art Of Giving Your Husband A Breathtaking Lingam Massage'.) Launched in 2019 by Brittany Hugoboom and her husband Gabriel, Evie magazine has been described as a 'Gen Z Cosmo for the alt-right' and has plenty of advice on 'how to go from feminist to feminine'. Contacted over email, Brittany Hugoboom says her magazine is at the forefront of no less than a 'new cultural era'. Like Clark, she says the magazine appeals to women who aren't conservative. 'Our audience is split ideologically between conservative, liberal, and independent women.' She claims that the magazine's blend of fun and serious content and its validation of allegedly disparaged choices (traditional marriage and motherhood) is what appeals to readers. The language Hugoboom uses, reflected in the tone of the magazine, is hyped and enthusiastic, and leans into empowerment rhetoric. 'Women want aspiration again. They want beauty, love, and purpose' While acting as a glossy facade for the 'trad' content, the magazine also bridges the gap between right-wing ideology and alternative health discourse. It has shared anti-vaccine content, and regularly criticises hormonal birth control with deceptive health claims (a representative article claims that the pill 'gives women a cortisol response similar to PTSD'), while promoting its own cycle tracking app (launched with funding from right-wing billionaire Peter Thiel). Echoing some of the arguments made by tradwives, Evie's articles attack 'girlboss feminism' and claim that feminism and pursuing careers have left women hollowed out. 'We tell the truth about what actually leads to happiness. The media refuses to acknowledge that faith, family, and love—not casual sex, careerism, or ideological activism— statistically bring the greatest fulfilment,' she says. We're tired. People aged 18 to 24 are among the most likely to suffer from burnout in the UK, and young women are particularly at risk of suffering from mental health conditions. Housing costs, stagnating pay and life stresses, combined with the feeling that these things won't change, are making the fantasy of a (rich) husband-protector more appealing. 'The current crop of anti-feminist influencers is able to ride the wave of anger at the failures of neoliberal feminism, which promised empowerment in the form of consumer choice and leaning in at work,' says Dr Jilly Kay, a feminist scholar at Loughborough University. While successfully pinpointing our current frustrations and romanticising the past, these influencers can make us forget how hard-won rights have freed women from abusive and unhappy relationships, and given us opportunities that previous generations could only dream of. And the solution being offered – just opt out – isn't simple at all. Financial dependence on men is one of the riskiest moves a woman can make. In the UK, over 40% of marriages end in divorce, and women's incomes fall by 33% on average after divorce, compared with 18% for men. The real fix isn't giving up independence; it's demanding systems that support it: affordable childcare, stronger labour protections, better healthcare and more equitable parental leave. The fix is, in short, political policy – something these women seem hesitant to lead with, despite their attempt to influence it. Perry is comfortable navigating contradictions. She appears on anti-abortion podcasts, yet says she doesn't want to see abortion rights reversed in the UK. 'Pro-life people have tried to get me to endorse them and I have always refused to do that,' she says, while also citing the anti-abortion legal academic Erika Bachiochi as one of her key inspirations during our conversation. Perry says she doesn't position herself as a politician, but her goal seems to be to influence the dominant culture and women's individual trajectories. 'While I have a laundry list of things I'd like, I'm not a politician; I'm a writer and I write what I think is true. I'm not much of an activist these days, but I hope more women will change their behaviours.' She has recently adapted her book The Case Against The Sexual Revolution into a handbook aimed at teenage girls, in which she advises them to delete dating apps, withhold sex and avoid being alone with men. Aside from her recommendations to women about sex and relationships, which people can take or leave, Perry's views on other issues have been a lot less innocent. She has written, for instance, that the transgender activist movement is 'made up of a combination of fetishists and the mentally ill', and has expressed her opposition to women being in front-line policing roles. So, where does the so-called 'cultural commentary' end and the political manifesto begin? By making feminist arguments interspersed with ultra-conservative talking points and maintaining a presence in both fringe and established outlets, reactionary feminists can maintain plausible deniability when asked if their views could bolster policies that could undo fundamental rights. In the 2024 US election, 40% of women between the ages of 18 and 29 were pro-Trump, compared with just 33% in 2020. That's an upswing of 7%. And while bro podcasters such as Joe Rogan and other anti-woke YouTubers have been largely credited with boosting men's vote for Trump, similar influences on the female vote shouldn't be ignored. And neither should the growing support for Nigel Farage's far-right party, Reform UK, here. They secured more than 4m votes in the 2024 UK election – which equates to 14.3% of the total vote – and in May's local council elections, won 677 of around 1,600 seats contested. While it's true that young women are the least likely demographic to vote for Reform (and this surge of support has – sadly – largely come from Gen Z men), Dr Kay warns that we should not take this as a hard truth. 'The worry for me is that this new wave of anti-feminist women influencers and commentators will start to shape electoral politics in the same way we have seen the manosphere fuelling right-wing voting patterns,' she says. Conservative and anti-feminist women like to say that modern-day feminism has devalued motherhood and is forcing us into the rat race. They can make us forget how their anti-woke message gives credibility to efforts to roll back key rights, and why – beyond our individual desires and choices – we need to demand more for every woman. We need greater support for childcare and flexible work, investment in medical research to develop new forms of contraception and a better sexual culture that doesn't just keep us safe from violence, but guarantees our sexual freedom. These women's messages are rewarded by the algorithms of social media, which will amplify polarising, controversial and misinformative content to keep us engaged and scrolling. Whatever you think of their views, there's no doubt they have spread because of how divisive they are. And the impulse is to push back with equal force. But at a time when 'manosphere' influencers are thriving online, far-right parties are making electoral gains and reproductive rights remain threatened, we need to offer a response to these narratives without alienating the women who recognise themselves in them, creating further divide. In a world where we're often asked to choose sides and can get led down various online rabbit holes, we need to remember that agreeing with This new generation of conservative YouTubers and podcasters seem to know with certainty what's right for us, but feminism has always been about letting us live on our own terms and decide for ourselves what's best. It's about choice, not a mandate from one woman to another. As social media bombards us with shock reactions, viral content and 'controversial' takes, we can lose the ability to consider how we feel about these – and other – reactionary messages that come our way. The solution isn't simple (it rarely is), but to start, we need to learn to slow down, fact-check and consider who benefits from our frustration and attention. some critiques these influencers make doesn't mean that a person embraces all of their wider political views.
The Independent
8 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Jay Slater inquest gives verdict on cause of teenager's death in Tenerife
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference.
The Herald Scotland
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
'South Park' takes on Trump, Colbert cancellation, '60 Minutes' suit
The episode depicts Trump literally getting into bed with Satan, his lover, using actual photos of the president crudely placed on an animated body. It's the same depiction that Saddam Hussein received in 1999's "South Park" movie, and Satan even comments that Trump and Saddam are "exactly alike." In the episode, Trump is portrayed as a thin-skinned bully who threatens to sue anyone who gets on his bad side. The main plot revolves around the supposed death of "wokeness" and the president pushing Christianity in classrooms by having Jesus physically appear at the boys' school. When the parents of South Park get angry and push back, Trump decides to sue the town. The episode goes on to take aim at Paramount for its controversial settlement with Trump over a "60 Minutes" interview with Kamala Harris, which he alleged was deceptively edited. A pair of "60 Minutes" anchors are shown covering the protests in South Park, but they nervously praise Trump and insist they don't agree with the protesters, as if they are worried he will sue again. All seasons of 'South Park' have a new streaming home. Where can you watch? Eventually, Jesus arrives at the South Park protest and, speaking nervously with clenched teeth, reveals he came to the kids' school "because it was part of a lawsuit and the agreement with Paramount." "(Trump) can do whatever he wants now that someone backed down," Jesus continues, adding, "You guys saw what happened to CBS? Well, guess who owns CBS? Paramount! You really want to end up like Colbert? ... Just shut up, or we're going to get canceled, you idiots!" The episode aired less than a week after the cancellation of Colbert's "Late Show," which CBS said was for financial reasons. But critics accused the network, which Paramount owns, of canceling the show to appease Trump amid a proposed merger with Skydance that requires Trump administration approval. Colbert is a vocal Trump critic and mocks him on almost every episode of "The Late Show." Colbert's cancellation: A ratings crisis or a political bribe? We investigate The season premiere ends with the people of South Park settling with Trump and agreeing to do pro-Trump messaging as part of their agreement. So the show cuts to a supposed pro-Trump public service announcement, in which Trump, in live-action, is shown crawling through a desert completely nude. With its surprisingly pointed critique of Paramount, the episode also aired on the same day that Paramount announced a five-year agreement with Parker and Stone for 50 new episodes of "South Park."
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
RNC Chair Whatley to run for North Carolina Senate seat with Trump's support
Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Michael Whatley is planning to run for Senate in North Carolina to succeed retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R), a source familiar confirmed to The Hill. The source said Whatley will run with President Trump's blessing for the seat, confirming Politico, which first reported the news. The development comes after former RNC co-Chair Lara Trump, the president's daughter-in-law, was openly considering a bid for the seat. Politico reported she has decided against a run. Whatley's candidacy tees up one of the marquee Senate races of the midterms, as former Gov. Roy Cooper (D) reportedly plans to jump in next week. Cook Political Report currently rates the seat as a 'toss-up.' Two people familiar with the decision told Politico that President Trump believes Whatley is in a strong position to face Cooper, a popular former two-term governor seen as Democrats' best chance of winning the seat. They said Lara Trump will declare her support for Whatley and will appear with him soon, with a public announcement coming in the next week to 10 days. While Whatley has never run for elected office before, he does have background in North Carolina politics. He is a former chief of staff for former Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.) and served as chair of the North Carolina GOP for almost five years before being tapped by President Trump to become RNC chair. A GOP operative told The Hill that Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), the chair of Senate Republicans' campaign arm, met with Whatley about a potential Senate bid, and the organization has been floating him as a possible replacement for Tillis since January. They said internal and public polling indicate a pro-Trump Republican would be in the strongest position for the party to hold the seat. The decision from Tillis, a two-term incumbent viewed as somewhat more moderate and less closely tied to the president, to retire at the end of his term scrambled the field for the seat, which already was shaping up to be one of the most watched races of 2026. His seat and the one held by Sen. Susan Collins (R) in Maine are seen as the two best chances for Democrats to pick up seats next year. But on the Republican side, Lara Trump appeared to have the 'right of first refusal,' as one strategist put it, as she considered whether to run for the seat. She had previously considered a Senate run in 2022, as well as contending to be picked to fill Secretary of State Marco Rubio's Florida Senate seat last year, but she ultimately decided against both, not closing the door to a run entirely. Lara Trump announced she would not seek the North Carolina seat in a post on the social platform X later Thursday, saying she made the decision after 'much consideration and heartfelt discussions' with her family, friends and supporters. 'I am deeply grateful for the encouragement and support I have received from the people of my home state whom I love so much,' she said. 'While I am not running in this election, my passion for Making America Great Again burns brightly, and I look forward to the future, wherever that leads.' But with her passing on a Senate bid again, Whatley would be the big name in the race for the GOP, coming off of the party's success in the 2024 presidential election. A few other possible candidates have been rumored to be considering bids, but receiving the president's backing would certainly be a major boost for Whatley, if any other candidates compete. Whatley winning the nomination would confirm what Tillis's retirement made all but certain: Next year's GOP candidate will be more closely tied to Trump than Tillis is. It would likely set up a match between Whatley and Cooper in the general election. Axios reported Cooper is set to launch his Senate campaign next week, giving Democrats in the state and nationwide their desired candidate. Democrats have seen much more success in recent years in gubernatorial races in North Carolina than federal races, having not won a Senate seat there since 2008. But the party is hopeful it can finally get over the hurdle with Cooper. Senate Democrats' campaign arm touted Lara Trump's decision against running, saying the GOP is 'facing the latest in a string of embarrassing recruitment failures as they lose their 'first choice' candidate.' 'While Republicans descend further into chaos in North Carolina, Democrats will flip this seat in 2026,' spokesperson Maeve Coyle said. Brett Samuels contributed. Updated at 12:03 p.m. EDT Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
