WILMINGTON, NC – Former President Donald Trump canceled a North Carolina rally at the last minute on Saturday evening, citing stormy weather as the reason.
Trump, who had not yet arrived at the event, announced by phone that the outdoor rally had been canceled as thunder and rain began to darken.
“It looks like there’s been lightning and lightning. It’s a pretty big storm, so if you don’t mind, I think we’ll just have to check the rain,” Trump said over his speaker system.
After Trump’s statement, there were loud groans and shouts of frustration from the crowd before he sped off.
It would be Trump’s first rally since his inauguration His criminal case in Manhattan.
Trump promised the crowd a “rain check” and said he planned the event for later.
“What we’re going to do is, other times we’re going to offset it very quickly, but we’re going to do it as quickly as possible,” Trump said. “I’m so sad. I’m in North Carolina right now.”
The incident took place in the open air near the Wilmington airport. Although heavy rain had not yet begun at the time of the cancellation, lightning flashes became increasingly common, raising safety concerns.
“We want to keep everybody safe. That’s the most important thing. We want everybody there to be 100% safe,” Trump said.
The rally was to be Trump’s second campaign event in North Carolina. basic swing state crucial to both Trump’s and Biden’s path to victory. Trump narrowly carried the state in 2020 by less than 1.5%.
Trump was in court most of the week for jury selection in his criminal case is accused with 34 numbers first degree falsification of business records. Prosecutors allege he falsified business records to hide payments to adult firm star Stormi Daniels in the run-up to the 2016 election.
Opening statements in court begin Monday, and the trial is expected to last six to eight weeks.