Former President Trump hits hot-button issues at Wilmington Save America rally

Animated at times yet stern and forceful at other times, former President Donald Trump delivered what’s come to be expected during a Save America rally Friday in Wilmington.

Dressed in red, white and blue, thousands gathered on the tarmac at Wilmington International Airport to show their support. Throughout his speech, the crowd cheered loudly or booed rigorously – depending on the topic and the former president’s tone.

Trump, the 45^th president of the United States, hit all of his usual talking points – focusing on crime, immigration, education and election results.

The former president was in town to campaign for North Carolina Republicans running for office in this year's midterm elections. They include US Senate candidate Ted Budd, who’s running for an open seat against Democrat Cheri Beasley. Pollsters say the race is a toss-up, but that didn’t stop Trump from saying he believes Budd has a big lead.

During the rally, Trump said Budd will defend North Carolina values, and he called Beasley a "Marxist, radical" leftist, especially when it comes to crime.

Beasley’s campaign issued a statement immediately after the rally.

“Congressman Budd and Donald Trump spread despicable lies about Cheri’s record that have been debunked repeatedly and even resulted in ads being removed from the air for being false,” said Dory MacMillan, a Beasley spokesperson. “Not only is Congressman Budd an election denier and extremist who has worked to undermine our democracy and take away our freedoms, he will lie and fear monger unabashedly in his desperate attempt to cling to power.”

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Another of Trump’s key talking points was the US and Mexico border and illegal immigration. He criticized North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, for vetoing a public safety bill in July that would have required sheriffs to learn the immigration status of jailed inmates.

“North Carolina should be a sanctuary for law abiding Americans, not criminal aliens,” said Trump, who went on stage around 7:45 p.m. and spoke for about 90 minutes.

He noted several instances of violent crimes in North Carolina's major cities, blaming that crime on the "radical Democrats."

Trump also said his rallies have been "bigger than ever" and he said that by the size of the crowd in Wilmington, he has no doubt Budd will win the election in November.

Aside from his focus on political hot-button issues, Trump interjected several moments of levity into his speech. At one point, he singled out two women from North Carolina. He said they’d been to 92 of his rallies across the country. He surmised that they must be wealthy. And he laughed when he said he was thinking about inviting them to Mar-a-Lago. He even said he might let their husbands come along.

Though it wasn’t clear the exact head count of those who showed up for the Save America rally, organizers anticipated around 10,000 people would be in attendance ahead of the event. Many began lining up as early as 8 a.m. to be first in when the doors opened at 2 p.m.

Despite that, some attendees who had been to numerous other Trump rallies said the crowd in Wilmington was “light,” and vendors selling merchandise said business was lower than usual. Hundreds also began to leave shortly after Trump went on stage.

The rally opened with words from local and state Republican party leaders, the National Anthem performed by a Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office deputy, and chants of “USA! USA!” from the crowd.

Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara, a Wilmington native, addressed the crowd via video, encouraging them to “vote RED – Remove All Democrats.”

Other speakers included North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore, North Carolina District 1 House candidate Sandy Smith, District 13 candidate Bo Hines, South Carolina District 7 House candidate Russell Fry, US House Representative from North Carolina District 7 David Rouzer, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, and Budd.

Speakers had a range of points, from immigration policy to removing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi from office.

In Budd’s speech, he committed to working against President Joe Biden’s agenda and he said he would vote for what’s best for North Carolina families, including to finish the border wall between the US and Mexico and to give parents more authority in their children’s education.

PHOTOS:Supporters at Donald Trump rally

As people gathered on the tarmac, planes taking off and taxiing past every few minutes, the rally had a surreal atmosphere. Around the rally, food trucks, photo ops and dozens of vendors selling merchandise ranging from clothing to flags, buttons and bumper stickers. From Wilmington locals to people who drove hours to see the former president, the mood was one of excitement ahead of Trump’s appearance.

“I love him and I love what he did for the country,” said Lisa Sparr, a Swansboro resident. “He did everything with everybody against him.”

Sparr had been on the grounds of Wilmington International Airport since around 11:30 a.m. waiting in line to enter the event. She said she wants to see Trump run for president again in 2024, and she has full confidence in Budd after he received Trump’s endorsement.

She said she hoped Trump would share his plans moving forward and what he would do for the middle class in the future.

David Rainville traveled across state borders from South Carolina to see the former president. He said while he didn’t necessarily want to see Trump run for president again, he wanted to come to the rally to show his support for Trump and for the US Constitution.

Others at the event referred to Trump as a “superhero president” and “the only politician to tell the truth.”

The midterm elections are scheduled for Nov. 8, with early voting beginning Oct. 20.

Reach reporter Sydney Hoover at shoover@gannett.com or on twitter at @sydneymhoover.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Donald Trump in Wilmington, NC: Former president supports NC candidates