SHOT: Senator Tillis says he’s “tied together” with President Trump.

• Tillis: “There’s going to be a universe of voters that will vote for the president [and] not me … and there’s a universe where they vote for me and not him,” said Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who’s in one of the hottest races in the country. But overall, he said, “we’re substantially tied together in terms of the outcome of the election.” [Politico, 10/21/20]

CHASER: Team Trump says their chances of winning North Carolina “has all but evaporated” and that North Carolina “could be a clear white flag” on election night.

• “Internally, the Trump campaign is increasingly worried that the president’s chances of winning North Carolina, a state the team has heavily invested in and views as essential for Trump’s path to victory, has all but evaporated… Advisers now fear that, because the state counts and reports both day-of and mail-in votes together on election night, losing North Carolina could be a clear white flag.” [ABC News, 10/19/20]

LIME: Trump privately told donors it would be “very tough” for Republicans to hold the Senate, and insinuated that he doesn’t want to help Tillis, saying, “You lose your soul if you do.”

• Trump: “I think the Senate is tough actually. The Senate is very tough. There are a couple senators I can’t really get involved in. I just can’t do it. You lose your soul if you do. I can’t help some of them. I don’t want to help some of them.” [Washington Post, 10/24/20]