Former President Donald Trump made the decision to cancel his scheduled rally in North Carolina at the eleventh hour on Saturday evening, attributing the sudden change of plans to stormy weather conditions.
Donald Trump, who had not yet made his appearance, dialed in by phone to convey the sudden decision to cancel the event. The cancellation, prompted by the threatening weather conditions, came as rain began to fall, marking a last-minute change of plans for the North Carolina rally.
According to NBC News, Trump, speaking over the speaker system, acknowledged the thunder and lightning, noting the severity of the storm. "It's a pretty big storm, so if you don't mind, I think we're going to have to just do a rain check," he stated, suggesting postponing the event due to the inclement weather.
"What we'll do is we'll make up for this very quickly at another time, but we'll do it as quick as possible," Trump said. "I'm so sad. I'm in North Carolina right now. We want to keep everybody safe. It's the most important thing. We want everybody there to be 100% safe," he added.
Addressing the crowd, Trump also expressed his intention to reschedule the event for a later date, offering a "rain check" to those in attendance. This rally was poised to be Trump's inaugural public appearance since the commencement of his criminal trial in Manhattan.
The rally was originally planned to be held outdoors at the Aero Center Wilmington. The decision to cancel was made approximately 30 minutes before Trump's scheduled appearance at 7 p.m. ET, reported ABC News. This timing coincided with the issuance of a severe thunderstorm warning for the region by the National Weather Service on Saturday evening.
On Saturday, both Donald and Melania Trump hosted separate fundraisers in different states. Donald Trump focused on raising funds for his campaign and the Republican Party in North Carolina during the afternoon, preceding the subsequently canceled rally. Meanwhile, Melania Trump held a fundraiser for a conservative LGBT group at the Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach during the evening.
The North Carolina fundraiser took place following remarks by Democratic Governor Roy Cooper, who expressed belief in President Joe Biden's potential to win the state, despite Trump's victories there in 2016 and 2020. Biden and Harris recently visited North Carolina, emphasizing their healthcare platform to bolster their campaign efforts in the state.