Trump returns to Wilmington for final election push

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Just as early voting ended in North Carolina, the Republican nominee for president landed in Wilmington as he makes his final appeal to voters.

Donald Trump returned to the Port City just three days before Election Day.

Thousands of supporters greeted Trump and his wife Melania, who arrived about 35 minutes behind schedule, at a hangar at Air Wilmington this afternoon.

When Trump took the stage, he made one last attempt at rallying votes together in a major battleground state by assuring North Carolinians that change is coming.

“To all Americans I say it’s time for change. It’s time for new leadership,” Trump said. “I’m asking you to dream big, because with your vote we are just three days away from the change you’ve been waiting for for your entire life.”

His supporters say that the change is indeed, exactly what they want.

“I want to see some change, and I believe so do a lot of Americans,” one supporter said.

Another said, “I think it’s time to run this country like a business, and I think that change is required.”

Trump spoke on several topics, including what he calls one of the biggest problems in America.

“It’s just been reported that as a result of our open borders, violent cartels have just spread into all 50 of our states. More than 90 percent of those arrested are illegal. They’re here illegally,” he said.

To which the crowd responded, “Build a wall!”

And Trump made a promise to the crowd.

“A Trump administration would end this nightmare of violence,” he said. “We will protect American lives. We will cancel all federal funding to sanctuary cities. We will stop all illegal immigration, deport every last criminal alien and dismantle every criminal gang and cartel threatening our citizens. That will happen very quickly.”

Trump was happy to see all the support for him in Wilmington.

“It’s an amazing thing, and it’s taking place all over the country no matter where we go,” he said.

But he did not have the same reaction to the media

“One of the things I learned is the press is, I mean honestly, they’re among the most dishonest people I’ve ever met in my life,” Trump said.

And he let his audience in on something he believes the country does not want to hear.

“I hate to say we’re winning North Carolina,” Trump said.

Indeed, most polls show the race between Trump and Hillary Clinton in the Tar Heel State a statistical dead heat.

Before he left Trump had one more message for the crowd.

“Together we will make America wealthy again,” He said. “We will make America strong again. We will make America safe again. And we will make America great again.”

Trump started his day in Tampa with a 10 a.m. event. After his Wilmington stop, he jetted west to Reno, NV, where he was scheduled to speak at 5 p.m. local time before ending the night in Denver with a 9:30 p.m. rally.

This was Trump’s second visit to Wilmington during the campaign. He filled UNCW’s Trask Coliseum on Aug. 9. His running mate Mike Pence has also made two visits to the area. In late August Pence visited the State Port of Wilmington and held a rally at a Leland factory. Pence returned to Wilmington last month for a rally in downtown Wilmington.