As President Donald Trump prepares to hold another campaign rally in the Tar Heel state, dozens of supporters have already lined up for the Wednesday night event. The rally will start around 7 p.m. at Gastonia Municipal Airport and doors open at 4 p.m.
"It's more than worth it," said Doeen O'Neil said, speaking through her window outside the airport. "When he appears it's so exciting." O'Neil is one of dozens who began lining up the rally hours before it was scheduled to begin.
According to WCNC, organizers expect between 15,000 and 30,000 people to attend the rally, a huge increase compared to the president's previous rallies in the state. This will be Trump's sixth campaign event in North Carolina as he tries to win over the battleground state. Polls show that race between him and democratic nominee Former Vice President Joe Biden is very close.
County health officials said Monday that they hadn't received specifics from the Trump campaign about the rally, but recommends those in large gatherings to wear facial coverings and maintain social distancing, WBTV reports. Wednesday's rally comes as North Carolina registered its highest single-day record of COVID-19 deaths and a week after the state broke its record for highest single-day case increase.
A spokesperson for the president's campaign said, "Every attendee has their temperature checked, is provided a mask they're instructed to wear, and has access to plenty of hand sanitizer. We also have signs at our events instructing attendees to wear their masks."
According to CBS 17, those wishing to attend should register online while acknowledging the increased risk of exposure to the coronavirus.
Photo: Getty Images