On the Matt Gaetz show, former Trump staffer Matt Braynard slammed Michael Whatley’s weak candidacy and career as a Big Oil lobbyist and DC political hack, saying Whatley “needs to drop out” of the U.S. Senate race. According to Braynard, “very senior” Trump administration officials “have expressed shock” about Whatley being hand-picked for the U.S. Senate.

Braynard: “I think he needs to drop out. He was the wrong candidate from the beginning. He was a lobbyist, he was a state party chairman, he went to the RNC chair…

“And I will tell you something else about Whatley. Certain people in the administration, very senior people, have expressed shock to me that is what happened. That ended up being our default nominee…

“I have no idea how he got the President’s endorsement.”

This comes after Steve Bannon expressed similar concerns, saying “if you talk to the MAGA folks down there, they’re just not enthusiastic about [Whatley].”

“Even Republicans can’t stand Michael Whatley because they know he’s a slimy DC insider who has spent his career putting special interests and billionaires over North Carolina families,” said NCDP Spokesperson Mallory Payne. 

###