Lightning Causes Trump to Cancel Rally in North Carolina

Due to an approaching storm, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump unexpectedly called off a campaign rally in North Carolina on Saturday. He expressed his disappointment to the crowd, assuring them of his intention to return to the state soon.

About 30 minutes before the scheduled appearance at an airport in Wilmington, Trump phoned in from his private jet as lightning flashed in the background, advising everyone to evacuate for safety reasons.

“I’m devastated that this could happen but we want to keep everybody safe,” Trump announced to the thousands of supporters gathered, many of whom had waited since early morning in the hot and humid weather.

“I think we’re gonna have to just do a rain check. I’m so sad,” he added.

The event was planned following the first week of Trump’s highly publicized criminal trial in New York, related to allegations of misreporting a payment to his personal lawyer as a legal expense during the 2016 presidential campaign. Jury selection was completed, with opening statements scheduled to start on Monday.

In addition to the New York trial, Trump is facing criminal charges in Washington, Georgia, and Florida. However, the New York case is the only one set to go to trial this year.

Both the Biden and Trump campaigns are focused on winning North Carolina, a crucial swing state that could sway the outcome of the November election. Trump narrowly secured victory in the state in 2020 over Biden.

Recently, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris made campaign visits to North Carolina.