**Viral News Snippet:**

Viral News Snippet:

🚨 BREAKING: Alleged Leaked Poll Shows Cooper Crushing Whatley — But Is It Real? 🚨

A purported internal poll is circulating on X and Telegram, claiming North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper would trounce Michael Whatley, the newly elected Republican National Committee chair, by a staggering 14 points in a hypothetical 2024 Senate matchup.

The Claim: According to the viral image (which appears to be a screenshot of a crosstab from a “Cooper for Senate” internal memo), the Democratic governor holds a 52-38% lead over Whatley. The supposed pollster name is partially cropped, and the sample size is listed as “N—[REDACTED].”

What’s Real vs. Fake:

• Fake: Roy Cooper has repeatedly stated he will not run for Senate in 2024. There is no “Cooper for Senate” committee authorized with the FEC.
• Fake: Michael Whatley is not a declared candidate for Senate. He was elected RNC Chair in March 2024 and his name is not on any NC ballot paperwork.
• Fake: The poll lacks a crosstab header, weighted numbers, or a margin of error. Reverse image search shows the background template is recycled from a 2022 Georgia Senate race poll.
• Real: Cooper’s approval rating in NC is indeed high (mid-50s), and Whatley is little-known outside GOP circles, so a generic “Cooper vs. Whatley” poll might look similar. But that hypothetical race does not exist.

Verdict: MISLEADING. The screenshot is fabricated or clumsily edited. No legitimate pollster has tested this matchup. As one NC political operative put it: “This is a fever dream from someone who wants Cooper to run. He’s not.”