Trump says N.C. rally attendees were 'soaking wet' waiting in line, but it wasn't raining in Fayetteville

Savannah Behrmann, USA TODAY
Updated

WASHINGTON-- As President Donald Trump departed for a campaign rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Monday he said that people were standing in line “trying to get into the arena” and are “soaking wet.”

“So we have now people standing in line trying to get into the arena and I will tell you that they are soaking wet," Trump said, according to a media pool report, during a briefing he received while aboard Air Force One headed to North Carolina.

However, the weather in Fayetteville wasn’t stormy leading up to the rally, according to reporters who were in attendance at the rally.

During the rally, Trump also noted the poor weather in the state.

Prior to the rally, Trump had to cancel plans to tour hurricane damage in Havelock, N.C., which roughly 150 miles away from Fayetteville,

During the rally Trump said that people told him "'Maybe we could skip North Carolina today, sir,'" but he said he responded "'No, thank you,'" which drew loud cheers from the audience.

More: Facing test in North Carolina, Donald Trump says Democrats want to wipe out his record

Later in his stump speech, he told supporters that he sought a larger venue for his rally in support of Dan Bishop, the Republican who is running in a special election Tuesday for the North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District, and said, "I was even willing to stand out in the rain and get my hair soaking wet but they said it was a little bit out of your district.”

"But I was willing to do it. I would’ve taken it. I would’ve been very proud to have done it. It would have shown it’s my real hair at least," he said lightheartedly.

"It’s my hair. May not be great, but I will say it’s better than most of my friends' who are the same age," he continued, prompting laughter from the audience.

The Trump campaign last week relocated Monday's rally from the Fayetteville Regional Airport to the city's Crown Expo Center. The Trump campaign told the Hill that the change was made because of logistical problems with flight times at the airport's hangar.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump says N.C. rally-goers were 'soaking wet' but it wasn't raining