Whatley to Newsmax: Cooper Will Be 'Rubber Stamp' for Dems

Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley sharply criticized Democrat opponent Roy Cooper on Tuesday, accusing the former governor of being aligned with what he calls "woke mob" policies and for failing to defend North Carolina values. 

Whatley, former head of the Republican National Committee, said on Newsmax's "Wake Up America" that Cooper is out of step with the state's voters and would simply carry the national Democrat agenda to Washington.

Whatley said Cooper has "no agenda other than to oppose President Donald Trump and oppose the American people," and that the race isn't about Cooper's record of service but about whether he will side with progressive leaders like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., rather than fighting for North Carolina.

Whatley repeated his characterization of Cooper as a "card-carrying member of the woke mob" and argued that the former governor wants to push policies associated with New York and San Francisco rather than reflecting what Whatley called "North Carolina values."

Central to Whatley's critique was crime and public safety. He blamed Cooper's tenure as governor for what he described as soft-on-crime policies in the state. 

The "highest function of any government is protecting its citizens … and we have an abject failure here by Roy Cooper at the state level," Whatley said. 

Whatley warned that sending Cooper to the Senate would give Democrats a reliable vote for more liberal criminal justice reform nationwide.

Whatley also attacked Cooper's healthcare and border positions, linking Cooper with an agenda of open borders, inflationary spending and a weakened America. Whatley claimed Cooper lacks policy proposals and is focused only on attacking Trump rather than offering solutions. 

"Roy Cooper is on the wrong side of every single one of those issues," Whatley said, pointing to immigration and crime.

In positioning his campaign, Whatley emphasized continuity with Trump's agenda, declaring that Trump "carried North Carolina three times in a row" and that he will fight for "North Carolina values." 

• Whatley to Newsmax: N.C. Shouldn't Elect Soft-on-Crime Cooper
• NRSC: Former Gov. Cooper Failed N.C. on Helene