Trump rally in Wilmington postponed because of severe weather

Amid Trump’s hush money trial starting this week in New York, he was scheduled to make a visit to Wilmington Saturday for a rally.

Moments before he was set to take the stage Saturday, around 6:30 p.m., the sky grew gray and Trump announced via audio that the event was postponed to a later date because of severe weather.

"There's some very bad weather," he said. "They'd prefer we not come in. ... They've asked us to ask people to leave the site and seek shelter."

More coverage: Donald Trump rally in Wilmington

The National Weather Service in Wilmington warned of a severe thunderstorm, with winds up to 60 mph and quarter-sized hail.

Trump said he was devastated about the turn of events, but that he would make up for the cancellation at another time. There is no further information about a re-scheduled event yet.

"We want to keep everybody safe," he said.

Before the event was canceled, Trump fans were led in a communal prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance and the singing of the national anthem.

State Sen. Danny Britt also spoke before Trump was set to take the stage. He addressed attendees saying there’s a battle in the General Assembly, a battle at the border and a battle at the ballot box. He charged people with using their phones to spread the word and encouraging others to vote.

“This [election] is the most important of our lifetime right now," Britt said.

Unwavering support for Trump despite trials

Trump is up against seven civil and criminal cases and is the the first former president to face criminal charges, but some attendees said they still support him.

Voters in the Tar Heel state could help determine his fate this November considering elections are often won by 1 to 2 percent. In the last presidential election in 2020, Trump won the state by just over 1%.

For Katherine Huey, a 25-year-old nurse practitioner from New Hanover County, the trials have not altered her support. She has been a Trump fan since she was able to vote and she appreciates his authenticity and wants a president who decreases taxes.

“I think people would rally behind him,” Huey said. “It would kind of show more people that our government is corrupt and they’re trying to take down the Republican party any which way they can."

Huey, a young voter, said young people are being brainwashed in college and that’s one reason why there aren’t as many visible young supporters of Trump.

More: Younger voters can influence North Carolina elections. What do they care about?

Thomas Grier, 41, the owner of a remodeling and restoration company who lives in Hampstead, appreciates Trump’s business mindset.

He would rather vote for someone like Ben Carson, but between Biden and Trump, he said he would choose Trump. Grier has been lightly following Trump’s trials, but the outcome of the them won't sway his opinion, he said.

“I feel like everybody breaks laws here and there,” Grier said. “In my opinion, most politicians have ghosts in their closet, you know what I mean, or skeletons per se."

Just days before Super Tuesday, Trump was in North Carolina where he endorsed the Republican gubernatorial candidate, Mark Robinson, at a Greensboro rally. And the last time he was in the Port City was in 2022 for his “Save America” rally.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Donald Trump cancels Wilmington, North Carolina, visit