Overview
- A social post from Michael Whatley’s campaign used an AI-created image of a Carolina Hurricanes player that many fans said did not match any roster member.
- The post drew wide attention online, with reports saying it had been viewed by roughly 300,000 users by late Wednesday and other Whatley accounts showing similar AI-style images.
- Whatley acknowledged at a campaign event in Zebulon that the graphic was AI-made and called it "not a big deal," but he initially walked away when asked to name Hurricanes players and later said "Jaccob Slavin" after prompting.
- Fans pointed to visual errors in the image — garbled letters on a jersey and inconsistent helmet stickers that suggested a mashup of players — and the Carolina Hurricanes declined to comment.
- The Cooper campaign and political observers say the episode undercuts Whatley’s local credibility in the tight race for the Senate seat being vacated by Thom Tillis and could invite more scrutiny of his campaign materials.