After a week stuck in court Donald Trump planned to unleash in front of thousands of adoring fans in North Carolina on Saturday.
But warnings of severe thunderstorms forced him to cancel the rally in Wilmington at the last minute, sending thousands of disappointed supporters home as conditions became too dangerous.
Instead of lashing out for 90 minutes at New York prosecutors, election interference and Joe Biden, Trump delivered a one-minute audio message telling people to leave.
“It’s a danger to all of this,” he said in a message broadcast over the audio system. “And we want to make sure everyone is safe
“So they asked us to ask people to leave the site and seek shelter.”
Thousands of people gathered to hear Donald Trump at his first rally since the hush money trial began in New York on Monday. But it was postponed a few minutes from the end
Disappointed fans returned home but said safety must come first
He was scheduled to take the stage at 7 p.m. for his first rally since the secret trial began in New York.
But with the sky growing darker by the minute and the outdoor rally site dotted with cranes that would act like lightning magnets, the decision was made to cancel.
Lightning was visible in the distance.
Trump said he was “devastated” but would return soon.
“We’re just going to have to do a rain check,” he said as people began streaming toward the exits. “I’m so sad…They say the weather is getting really bad.”
The timing couldn’t have been worse. He spent the week in Courtroom 1530 of Manhattan Criminal Court. like a caged beastcapable only of expressing his fury in brief outbursts at the injustice of it all.
On Saturday, he was scheduled to let loose in front of an adoring crowd.
The gathering was supposed to be the first since his criminal trial for “hush money” began in New York.
And the venue was also a reminder of how the 2024 elections will play out in the southern swing state of North Carolina. Trump won the state by just 1.5 points over President Joe Biden last time.
The scene earlier as fans braved temperatures in the 80s
But with less than half an hour until kickoff, Trump announced he was postponing the kickoff.
Trump held a fundraiser in Charlotte earlier in the day, where his aides said they raised $6 million. He said he was “devastated” to have had to cancel
People head for the exits after hearing Trump’s message canceling the rally
Fans flocked to the airport ramp at 3 p.m., hoping to find the best spot to see the former president before the event was canceled.
Hat, flag and T-shirt sellers lined the parking lot outside the rally site.
Trump spoke to Truth Social hours before the rally to rebuke prosecutors and the judge
Before the rally shut down, Trump was preparing for his second visit in the past two months.
Supporters said they were bitterly disappointed when they left, but safety had to come first.
“I’ll be on the next one,” said Cletus Leppo, who worked for the Postal Service before retiring.
For now, his main focus is the ongoing case in Judge Juan Merchan’s court, where he is accused of falsifying business records to hide secret payments to porn star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 campaign .
Trump denies all accusations.
But he is also under scrutiny for his public statements and social media posts attacking people linked to the case.
A silence order issued in March prevents him from making public statements about witnesses and their potential statements, as well as prosecutors, court staff and their family members if his comments are intended to interfere with the case .
(District Attorney Alvin Bragg and the judge are not covered by the order.
Prosecutors say he has already violated the order several times.
At the end of the week, a jury of 12 people had been selected.
But full
A large portion of Wilmington residents said they barely paid attention. The fix was there, they said.
“I didn’t bother to look at it,” said George Kopek, 82, who now lives next to a golf course after a life in sales, and whose nose bears the sun’s scars for prove it. “I have a lot of golf to play.”
Former US President Donald Trump became the first former president to stand trial when a jury was sworn in Monday afternoon in Manhattan Criminal Court.
He spent four days a week in the courtroom and could only speak to the media during breaks.
The full jury has been empaneled for the Trump trial. Twelve Manhattan residents will decide whether he is guilty or not guilty and six alternates will replace him.
The trial of a former president is unprecedented in American history. The fact that Trump is the potential Republican nominee and ahead of Biden in national polls makes the situation all the more extraordinary.
Trump has repeatedly claimed he is the victim of a political witch hunt and election interference.
On Saturday, he continued his argument in a Truth Social article hours before his appearance, questioning why the case wasn’t pursued eight years ago.
“Instead, they waited and introduced it right in the middle of my presidential campaign against the worst and most incompetent president ever, crooked Joe Biden,” he said.
“It is presided over by probably the most divisive judge in judicial history, who must be immediately removed from this hoax.”
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