Former President Donald Trump Cancels North Carolina Rally Due to Stormy Weather
Former President Donald Trump canceled his North Carolina rally at the last minute on Saturday evening, citing stormy weather as the cause. Trump, who had not yet arrived at the event, called in to announce the cancellation as thunder and rain began to darken the outdoor rally.
“There seems to be some thunder and lightning. It’s a pretty big storm, so if you don’t mind, I think we’re going to have to just do a rain check,” Trump said over the speaker system.
The crowd reacted with loud groans and shouts of disappointment before swiftly departing. The event was set to be Trump’s first rally since the start of his criminal trial in Manhattan. Trump assured the crowd that he would reschedule the event for a later time, promising a “rain check.”
The outdoor rally near the Wilmington airport was canceled due to safety concerns as lightning strikes became increasingly visible. Trump emphasized the importance of keeping everyone safe, stating, “We want everybody there to be 100% safe.”
This rally was scheduled to be Trump’s second campaign event in North Carolina, a key swing state crucial to both Trump and Biden’s path to victory. Trump narrowly carried the state in 2020 by a margin less than 1.5%.
Trump spent most of the week in court for jury selection in his criminal trial, where he faces 34 counts of first-degree falsifying business records. Prosecutors allege that he falsified business records to hide payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election. Opening statements for the trial are set to begin on Monday, with the trial expected to last six to eight weeks.
Nnamdi Egwuonwu and Jake Traylor are 2024 NBC News campaign embeds reporting on the latest developments.
