UNCW confirms Trump visit Tuesday afternoon; tickets available online

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Tickets are available for Donald Trump’s visit to Wilmington this week.

UNC Wilmington confirmed this afternoon its campus will host the Republican nominee for president Tuesday. A spokeswoman says the university’s chapter of College Republicans are sponsoring the visit by Donald Trump, which sources first announced Friday. Trump will hold a rally at Trask Coliseum at 2 p.m.

Sunday evening, the Trump campaign added the Wilmington event to its website, including a link to tickets. People interested can register for two tickets on a first-come-first-served basis.

Trump reportedly will also visit Fayetteville Tuesday, but the event had not yet been added to his site as of 7:15 p.m. Sunday.

A lot of people are already making plans to attend Trump’s Wilmington visit, including supporters like Rep. David Rouzer (R-7th District), who a spokeswoman says hopes to speak at the event if the timing works out, as well as critics, including some who have taken to Facebook through the weekend to start planning protests outside the event. At least one person has e-mailed Wilmington Police about plans to picket under city ordinance.

A Trump visit would mark the first time a presidential nominee has visited Wilmington since Republican John McCain held a rally at CFCC’s Schwartz Center in the fall of 2008. Earlier that year then candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama came to town for rallies along the downtown riverfront and Trask Coliseum respectively ahead of the May Democratic primary.

While several candidates have made private fundraising stops in Wilmington over the years, including some in this election season, Republican Newt Gingrich was the last presidential candidate to hold a public event in Wilmington with a 2012 pre-primary lecture at UNCW.