Trump floats daughter-in-law Lara for North Carolina Senate run: 'She loves this state'

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump floated the idea on Wednesday, Sept 16, that his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, should run for a North Carolina Senate seat, during a campaign swing in the state to boost Republican Michael Whatley's bid for the seat.

Trump was addressing a crowd about North Carolina's high crime rate and the state's response to Hurricane Helene when Lara Trump's name came up.

A state Trump has now prioritized twice

"Lara Trump," he said, noting that Lara and Whatley previously worked together at the Republican National Convention. "I said, 'Lara, you gotta get... she loves this state, she was born here. But what a team, those two were the best."

Wednesday's meeting in North Carolina was Trump's first major campaign event since the RNC's midterm convention in Dallas last week and an early sign of the state's importance for GOP strategists.

Whatley is set to face a difficult campaign against an embattled but popular Democratic incumbent, with the ex-RNC chair seeking to replace Sen Thom Tillis, who is not seeking a third term after a very public falling out with Trump that left him isolated within the party.

While Trump retains a powerful hold on the GOP base, Whatley will have to win over North Carolina's swing voters and the sizable chunk of unaffiliated voters, a problem that the former president highlighted in his acceptance speech last week at the RNC, when he urged GOP voters to "pretend that I'm on the ballot," despite the fact that he isn't seeking office.

Lara Trump's past brush with a Senate bid

This is far from the first time that Lara Trump has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the Senate.

In 2024, she withdrew from consideration for the Senate seat in Florida, which was vacated by Marco Rubio, who became the secretary of state.

"After an incredible amount of thought, contemplation, and encouragement from so many, I have decided to remove my name from consideration for the United States Senate," she wrote in an X post at the time.

The North Carolina race figures to be one of the most closely watched of the midterm variety.

According to a recent Elon University questionnaire, ex-Democratic governor Roy Cooper leads his opponent Whatley 49% to 38%, with 54% of North Carolina voters expressing disapproval of Trump's management, compared to 31% who are satisfied.

The results are consistent with recent national polls, including a Reuters/Ipsos survey completed last week, which found that Trump's approval rating stands at 35%, up slightly from a record low of 33%, while Democrats maintain a 44% to 37% edge over the Republicans in the fictional generic congressional election, the largest gap since Trump was re-elected in January 2025.