Donald Trump canceled a rally Saturday, the Republican candidate's first campaign event since a criminal trial began in New York this week, because bad weather made outdoor gatherings unsafe.
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When he called 30 minutes before the scheduled start, thousands of supporters were gathered at the airport in Wilmington, North Carolina.
“First and foremost, we want to keep everyone safe, so we're asking people to stay away from the scene and evacuate,” Trump said on the call, broadcast over a loudspeaker as thick dark clouds hung overhead and scattered lightning strikes. I requested it.” .
“It's a pretty big storm. So, if you don't mind, I think we just need to check for rain. I'm so sad.”
President Trump promised to hold another “bigger and better” rally at the same venue, but the disappointed crowd quickly dispersed.
The event was scheduled to take place ahead of Monday morning's opening statements in Trump's “hush money” trial in New York, after jury selection was completed on Friday.
President Trump committed 34 counts of business fraud as part of a scheme to hide payments to porn actresses to prevent stories of sexual relationships from surfacing just before the 2016 presidential election in which he defeated Hillary Clinton. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
President Trump has denounced the trial, the first for a former US president, as a political “witch hunt,” and many of his supporters agree.
“It's not…a criminal trial, really. It's just political,” said Grace Miller, 58, a retiree who came to the rally from North Carolina. “You can't just make something a felony. I mean, they think we're stupid, but we're not.”
Truck driver Stephen Prater accused Democrats of using the court case to prevent Trump from winning re-election.
“The left is doing everything they can to prevent him from taking office,” said Prater, 29.
Battleground North Carolina
In a post on his platform Truth Social, Trump once again complained that the court case was hindering his campaign.
“They waited and brought it in the middle of my presidential campaign against the worst, most incompetent president in history, crooked Joe Biden,” Trump posted.
Trump's speech in North Carolina was expected to follow similar critical lines, but Trump was ordered by the judge in the New York case, Juan Marchan, not to attack relatives of witnesses, prosecutors or court officials. Republicans have criticized the restrictions. “It's very unfair.”
Democrats hope to flip the battleground state of North Carolina after Trump won the state in 2016 and 2020.
In 2020, when North Carolina's Democratic governor won re-election, Joe Biden lost the state by just 75,000 votes.
With Trump likely scheduled to go on trial in New York for several weeks, and further charges pending in Washington, Georgia and Florida, Biden has begun ramping up his campaign appearances.
(AFP)
