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University of North Carolina Wilmington

The University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) offers visitor activities, events and things to do on campus and beyond. University sites and venues host sports, arts and theater events throughout the year. Summer marine camps make a visit to the shore a fun and educational experience for children.

Coastal College Campus

UNCW is centrally located between the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean in Wilmington and is recognized as having one of the most beautiful coastal college campuses. The Gary Shell Cross-City Trail cuts through campus making the university easily accessible by bicycle. Neo-Georgian buildings are set among scenic landscaping including the Herbert Bluethenthal Memorial Wildflower Preserve and the nearby 174-acre EV-Henwood Nature Preserve .

Admissions & Campus Tours

Founded in 1947, the University of North Carolina Wilmington is a public university with over 14,000 students. UNCW offers an array of high-quality programs at the baccalaureate and masters levels as well as doctoral programs in Educational Leadership, Marine Biology, Nursing and Psychology. It is consistently ranked among the top 10 public universities in the South with an undergraduate marine biology program that is ranked one the best in the world. It’s no surprise that the university also ranks among the nation’s best colleges for surfers. Find more information at uncw.edu/admissions .

Campus tours are available when classes are in session or may be conducted via virtual mobile tour .

ARTS & THEATER

The 1,000-seat Sarah Graham Kenan Auditorium is home to 170 artistically and culturally diverse events and performances per year. The auditorium is the location of UNCW Presents and the Lumina Arts Festival and is the largest arts venue on the UNCW campus.

Marine Quest Summer Camps

MarineQuest is the official marine science outreach program for the University of North Carolina Wilmington, Watson College of Education, and the Center for Marine Science. The program provides young people, ages 4-17, with opportunities to explore, discover and value our marine habitats. Visitors can enroll children in the summer camp program to experience the ocean in new ways.

Seahawks Sports

Visitors rooting for both home and away teams enjoy on-campus venues featuring basketball, baseball, volleyball, swimming, diving and more. UNCW’s Seahawk sports programs and “Sammy” the Seahawk bring excitement to campus venues like Trask Coliseum , Brooks Field, Seahawk Natatorium and the Greene Track & Field Complex. Find out more about the athletics program and get tickets at uncwsports.com .

Places to Stay

Near the university.

Whether in town for parents' weekend, a college sports event or campus tour, places to stay nearby include both traditional hotels and extended stay options.

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, unc wilmington virtual tour.

Hey guys, I've been considering applying to the University of North Carolina Wilmington but am unable to visit in person. Can anyone share their experience with the virtual tour or suggest alternative ways to learn about the campus and its atmosphere?

Hey there! It's great that you're interested in UNC Wilmington. While I can't share a personal experience with their virtual tour, I can still offer some suggestions to help you get a feel for the campus and its atmosphere without actually visiting.

1. Virtual Tour: Start with the virtual tour provided by the university on their official website. These tours are usually quite comprehensive and can give you a good sense of the campus layout, facilities, and important landmarks.

2. YouTube: Search for videos about UNC Wilmington on YouTube. Seeing campus life through the eyes of current students can provide a unique perspective and sometimes even a more candid view of the campus. You can look for student vlogs, residence hall tours, and events to gain a better understanding of the atmosphere.

3. Social Media: Follow UNC Wilmington's official social media accounts, as well as any relevant student-run accounts. This can help you stay updated on the latest news, events, and activities happening on campus.

4. Connect with Current Students or Alumni: Reach out to students or alumni through social media or your own network to chat about their experiences at UNC Wilmington. They can provide valuable insight into campus life, academics, and extracurricular activities.

5. Online Forums: Websites like College Confidential and the CollegeVine forum have discussions about specific colleges, including UNC Wilmington, where you can ask questions or just read through existing threads to learn more about the school.

6. College Websites and Publications: Explore UNC Wilmington's website for more information on academic programs, student resources, campus life, and student organizations. You can also find campus newspapers, magazines, and blogs to get a feel for what topics are being discussed on campus and what issues students care about.

By utilizing these resources, you should be able to get a better idea of what UNC Wilmington is like without physically visiting the campus. Best of luck with your college search!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

Click here to view the Campus Map .

The University of North Carolina Wilmington is located in the southeastern part of the state on a 661-acre tract midway between the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean. The city of Wilmington is situated on the east bank of the Cape Fear River about 15 miles from Carolina Beach and 10 miles from Wrightsville Beach. The metropolitan statistical area, of which Wilmington is a part, now has a population in excess of 360,000. Several main highways lead into the city, and commercial air service provides easy access to other metropolitan areas north, south, and west.

Ocean breezes and the nearness of the Gulf Stream give Wilmington a delightful year-round climate, and the area’s proximity to the ocean provides unlimited recreational opportunities.

The spacious well-landscaped campus was first occupied by the university in 1961. The number of buildings has increased from three in 1961 to 162 today, dispersed across a coastal pine savannah habitat. The buildings on the campus are of modified Georgian architecture, including academic, administrative, student life, residence, dining, athletic, and support buildings, all of which are completely air-conditioned.  There are several athletic fields and intramural fields.

For information on university buildings, see the university’s interactive map at http://www.uncw.edu/ba/campus_map/index.htm .

Institutional Diversity and Inclusion

The University of North Carolina Wilmington’s longstanding Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all. OIDI reports directly to the Office of the Chancellor and focuses on increasing awareness of diversity and inclusion efforts that touch all facets of campus.

OIDI provides leadership, partnership and support for diversity initiatives on campus as well as a number of learning opportunities through various resources, including the Upperman African American Cultural Center ; Centro Hispano ; the LGBTQIA Resource Office ; the Women’s Studies and Resource Center ; Human Resources ; Cape Fear Region Minority Enterprise Development Week ; the Disabilities Resource Center and the Office of Military Affairs .

UNCW’s mission statement highlights our values of diversity and globalization, ethics and integrity, and excellence and innovation. Attracting and retaining high-quality, diverse students, faculty and staff and promoting a diverse and inclusive culture and global mindset are among the priorities outlined in the university’s Strategic Plan . These priorities are realized through intentional programming and resources such as required coursework, “Living in Our Diverse Nation,” a component of the University Studies program that provides students with an understanding of the importance and implications of human diversity.

We track our progress with a variety of ongoing student and employee surveys aimed to evaluate engagement and inclusion at multiple levels and use the data to make changes where appropriate. Most recently, the Office of the Chancellor initiated a broad-based Campus Climate Work Group that regularly reports on the development of various initiatives specifically to re-imagine our campus climate and ensure we are making consistent progress toward our diversity and inclusion goals.

Office of Title IX and Clery Compliance

The Office of Title IX and Clery Compliance is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all students, faculty, staff, and visitors. All members of the UNCW community are expected to engage in conduct that contributes to its culture of integrity and honor that we always strive to maintain. The university prohibits its faculty, staff and students from engaging in any form of discrimination, protected-status harassment, sexual harassment, and sexual violence, and retaliation and expects these individuals to refrain from committing acts of discrimination, bias, or sexual violence. In compliance with federal and state law and university policy, the university maintains processes to provide redress and remediation to individuals or groups who believe they have been victims of these offenses. If you have any questions or need assistance, please stop by the Office of Title IX and Clery Compliance in DePaolo Hall Room 1040 or call 910-962-2937, email:  [email protected] . You may also visit: http://www.uncw.edu/noharm/ for more information and links to the relevant policies.

William Madison Randall Library

The William Madison Randall Library serves as a dynamic instructional and research resource for the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). Randall Library is named for William Madison Randall, Wilmington College president from 1958 to 1968. Its collections include more than two million items in various formats, including over 700,000 books, more than 235,000 eBooks, and over 425,000 print government documents; over 62,000 print and electronic journals, over 450,000 microform pieces, more than 80,000 media items (e.g., DVDs, CDs), and over 24,000 streaming videos.

In addition, the Library provides access to approximately 300 online databases and extensive full text resources. Databases, e-journals and eBooks are available to UNCW students, faculty and staff with Internet access anywhere, anytime. The gateway to the Library’s resources is its website: http://library.uncw.edu . The Library’s Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery service provides access to information resources held by other libraries around the world free of charge to UNCW students, faculty and staff. Requests are submitted online through the Library’s website.

The Library provides a reserve reading service to aid students and instructors in accessing required and supplemental materials for courses that cannot be made available through Blackboard, UNCW’s course management system. Books and videos for short loan reserve reading/viewing are held at the Circulation Desk. The Library’s specialized collections include the Rare Book Collection, the Southeastern North Carolina Collection (devoted to publications by or about residents of the Lower Cape Fear region of North Carolina), Manuscript Collections (diaries, correspondence and other papers), and UNCW and Wilmington College Archives. Special Collections also provides a unique collection of oral history interviews. In addition, the Library is a selective depository for United States government publications and a full depository for North Carolina documents. The Curriculum Materials Center (CMC), located in the Education Building, is a specialized facility designed to support the teacher education program of the Watson College of Education, providing textbooks and other teaching support materials for pre-K-12 grades. The CMC, in cooperation with the Education Lab, provides equipment for creating teaching materials.

A knowledgeable and helpful staff, including librarians and student assistants, provides comprehensive information access and research assistance. The Library is dedicated to the goal of educating users, especially students, in the identification, use and evaluation of information in all formats. In addition to providing immediate assistance at the Research Help Desk and Circulation Desk, the Library provides research assistance by chat, e-mail, phone, or in-depth assistance by appointment. The Library participates in NCKnows, a 24/7 chat reference service. Information literacy instruction is provided through course-related sessions, credit courses on library and information research skills, and workshops on various topics. Research guides and tutorials available on the Library’s website assist users in learning about the Library’s resources.

During the academic year, the Library is open 24 hours a day from noon Sunday until 9 p.m. Friday, and from noon until 6 p.m. on Saturday (135 hours/week). Randall Library provides over 1450 seats in a variety of environments, including individual study carrels and collaboration tables, as well as group study rooms which can be reserved online through the Library’s website. The second floor of the Library is dedicated to quiet study. Port City Java, the premier coffee shop in the Carolinas, provides beverages and food. The Technology Assistance Center (TAC), operated by UNCW Information Technology Services, is also located in the Library. There are 120 computers available in the Learning Commons on the first floor, many with dual monitors, three scanners including a walk-up quick scanning station, and two Bloomberg terminals. Sixty-two Dell laptops and 55 MacBooks are also available for checkout by students, or students can use wireless Internet access with their personal laptops. There are five computer work-stations for use by community visitors.

Additionally, the Library has 14 computers for graduate student use on the second floor. Twenty-four group study rooms are available on the first and second floors. These rooms are equipped with large screen HDTV displays to use with laptops in order to assist student collaboration. The Library also has two “pods” with Extron TeamWork collaboration systems and a meeting space (RL 1045) with overhead projector and multimedia functionality.

The Library also houses an 80-seat auditorium, the Honors College, Center for Teaching Excellence, Center for Faculty Leadership, and a Distance Learning classroom.

The university holds membership in the National Collegiate Athletic Association and Colonial Athletic Association. Varsity intercollegiate teams are fielded for men in basketball, cross country, baseball, golf, soccer, tennis, swimming and diving, and outdoor track and field. Varsity intercollegiate teams for women are fielded in basketball, cross country, softball, golf, soccer, tennis, swimming and diving, volleyball, beach volleyball, and indoor/outdoor track and field.

Mission Statement

UNCW Athletics enriches the University through a commitment to developing leadership qualities among its student-athletes by providing opportunities which support and promote academic excellence, community engagement, and competitive success.

Core Values

Excellence Community Student-Athlete Focused Diversity Innovation Integrity

Vision Statement

UNCW Athletics will be recognized for excellence in the comprehensive development of student-athletes while being a source of campus and community pride.

Information Technology Services

Information Technology Services (ITS) is an innovative organization committed to providing a technologically progressive environment for students, faculty and staff. As part of Business Affairs, ITS is dedicated to leading, collaborating and supporting with cost effective services that promote the mission of the university. ITS is also committed to promoting and sustaining a powerful learning experience by responding to students’ needs through student feedback, student engagement and collaboration with constituent groups across campus.

ITS provides an array of services to students, some of which include: 

• Technology Assistance Center (TAC) in Randall Library – UNCW’s help desk ( www.uncw.edu/tac )

ITS Service Catalog for requesting services online ( www.uncw.edu/tac )

ITS self-service knowledge base ( www.uncw.edu/tac )

Technology products and supplies at TAC Repairs Tech Store, conveniently located in Randall Library beside the TAC ( www.uncw.edu/tacrepairs )

Laptop hardware repairs (including warranty work on Apple and Dell computers) and iPhone screen repairs in TAC Repairs ( www.uncw.edu/tacrepairs )

Educational discounts on Apple and Dell computers ( www.uncw.edu/computers )

Blackboard Learn learning management system for online and blended courses

mySeaport campus portal ( https://myseaport.uncw.edu )

TealWare: Software in the Cloud ( www.uncw.edu/tealware )

General access computers in Randall Library’s Learning Commons

Student laptop checkout program (Apple and Dell) in the Technology Assistance Center (TAC)

Wireless access across campus ( www.uncw.edu/wireless )

Smart classrooms, which include a computer station, media player, audio, laptop connections, projector and projection screen

Distance education classrooms, which include telepresence, video conferencing, live streaming and more

Residential Networking services, including wired and wireless Internet, cable TV and phone/E911

For any computing or technology questions or problems, students may use the ITS Request System to report issues online, or they may contact the TAC. The TAC provides support via phone, email and in person in Randall Library. Services provided by the TAC include, but are not limited to, assistance with: PC and Mac support, wireless connectivity, password issues, Blackboard Learn support, software questions and scanning assistance. Further information on the TAC and its hours can be obtained at www.uncw.edu/tac .

ITS offers UNCW email to all students to keep them connected with the university community, their professors and each other. ITS also provides students with their one-stop campus portal—mySeaport. Through mySeaport, students have access to their UNCW email, calendar, class information, online registration, billing information, campus news and additional student resources and services. Furthermore, students may access various educational tools—such as SkillPort computer based training courses and podcasts—through this UNCW portal.

For more information on ITS and their services go to www.uncw.edu/its . 

Scholarly Community Engagement

Scholarly Community Engagement facilitates interdisciplinary teams composed of faculty/ student researchers and community organizations, conducting meaningful long-term applied research projects addressing local issues. Engaging the community in scholarly research, faculty and students affect the quality of life of individuals and communities in our region. Students participate in community-based research through internships, directed independent study and faculty-led research projects.

Media Production

Media Production , formerly UNCW-TV, highlights the intellectual diversity of the University by creating educational programming derived from the academic departments of UNCW and delivered by UNCW – TV, through a variety of media. Also, Media Productions serves the University through its Creative Services television production, such as broadcasting events like UNCW Commencement, a variety of award ceremonies, candidates forums, community based television programming and award winning documentaries.

Youth Programs

Begin your journey to higher education by participating in one of UNCW’s outstanding programs for youth of all ages. We offer summer academic enrichment opportunities, school year standards-based programs, and community outreach events that engage youth in experiential education, service learning and leadership development. Visit www.uncw.edu/youth/

UNCW Long-Term Ecosystem Reserve

This 750 acre parcel of undisturbed bottomland hardwood forest, tidal creeks, and wetland marshes bordered by the Northeast Cape Fear River, Cowpen Road, and NC Highway 421 supports non-destructive teaching and research activities.  The property is uniquely situated within the upper tidal region of the Cape Fear estuary.  Although most of the property consists of tidal freshwater creeks and adjacent marsh, detectable salinity can occasionally be measured during drought periods.  Because of this location, this area/habitat is expected to be among the early regions to be significantly affected by sea level rise over the next several decades, making it ideal for research into the effects of climate change on coastal ecosystems and ecosystem dynamics.

Herbert Bluethenthal Memorial Wildflower Preserve

The Herbert Bluethenthal Memorial Wildflower Preserve is a 10-acre memorial botanical garden located on the UNCW campus. Established in 1972, its purpose is to provide a place where the university community and the public can learn about and enjoy our native plants and their habitats. Many of the plants are labeled, and maps and trail guides are available at the entrance.

Ev-Henwood Nature Preserve

Ev-Henwood is UNCW’s coastal forest research and teaching station located in Brunswick County. It is only a short 30-minute drive from the university campus and is available for nature study and appreciation, student and faculty research, and class field trips. Included in its 110 acres are oak/hickory woods, pine forests, and low woods along the bordering Town Creek and its branches. Additional habitats such as ponds and fields are available nearby.

Center for Teaching Excellence

( http://www.uncw.edu/cte )

The Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) provides workshops on a variety of teaching issues, encourages innovations in teaching through awarding stipends for course development, and supports continued education in the scholarship of teaching by subsidizing travel to teaching conferences. Its mission is to foster a campus-wide climate where teaching is highly valued, as well as provide leadership in the application of scholarship to teaching. CTE encourages efforts to achieve excellence in teaching by running programs for course development and improvement, implementing new instructional technologies, and providing support services. CTE will also conduct orientations for new faculty and work to integrate them into the university community.

The UNCW Alumni Association and The Office of Alumni Relations

The UNCW Alumni Association strives to be the lead supporter in the University’s strategic vision. It is our purpose to connect and involve alumni, students, and friends in the promotion and advancement of the University. The UNCW Alumni Association promotes, encourages and supports unity and involvement among out 48,000 alumni, students, the University and friends.

The Alumni Relations Office is located in the Wise Alumni House at 1713 Market Street.

The Alumni Association sponsors two graduate student awards, applications are available at www.uncw.edu/alumni .

UNC Wilmington Athletics

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Events/results, 2020-21 men's basketball schedule.

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Election 2024 Trump cancels North Carolina rally, his first since his trial began, because of weather.

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Rebecca Davis O’Brien

President Trump’s campaign committee ended March with $45 million on hand, up from $33.5 million at the end of February, an improvement as he seeks to close the fund-raising gap with President Biden, whose campaign had $85.5 million on hand. It’s not just about donors, though: The Trump campaign’s spending has slowed to a trickle – in March, it spent just $3.7 million, compared with Biden’s $29.2 million.

Michael Gold

After two flashes of lightning, Donald Trump’s rally in North Carolina was canceled. Trump called into the rally and said he was advised not to land but promised he would return to the state soon. The National Weather Service has a severe thunderstorm watch in the area until 10 p.m.

Donald Trump is set to hold his first rally since his criminal trial in Manhattan began, a juxtaposition that his campaign is using in fund-raising messages. “They can’t keep me off stage!” Trump wrote in an email sent about 2 hours before he was scheduled to speak. “Did they think I would run and hide?”

Jazmine Ulloa

Nikki Haley, the one-time 2024 Republican presidential hopeful, on Saturday posted online photos of a warm reunion with her husband, Maj. Michael Haley, after his year-long deployment in Djibouti with the Army National Guard. Though not physically present, her husband was a fixture of her campaign and drew national attention when he drew personal insults from her rival, Donald Trump.

Nicholas Nehamas

The Biden campaign released a series of seven new digital ads featuring President Biden and former President Barack Obama on Friday night. The campaign said that “grassroots fundraising content signed by or featuring President Obama has generated more than $17.7 million,” helping to power Biden to a significant fundraising advantage over Donald Trump thus far.

Reporting from Wilmington, N.C.

Trump rally, a return to the campaign trail after a week on trial, is called off because of storms.

After former President Donald J. Trump sat in a courtroom in New York for much of the last week, Saturday night was supposed to herald a return to the campaign trail and the large rallies where he often gives long, freewheeling speeches.

With thousands gathered on the tarmac at an airport in Wilmington, N.C., Mr. Trump’s campaign was building anticipation. Two hours before he was set to speak, the campaign sent a fund-raising blast with a message from Mr. Trump: “They can’t keep me off stage! Did they think I would run and hide?”

Ninety minutes later, the skies darkened to charcoal and lightning flashed. As thunderstorms swept toward the area and the National Weather Service issued watches and warnings concerning dangerous winds and hail, the rally was canceled over safety concerns.

“We’ll make up for this very quickly at another time,” Mr. Trump said on a call he made into the rally that was broadcast over the speakers. “We’ll do it as quick as possible. I’m devastated that this could happen.”

But the cancellation, which Mr. Trump indicated was out of his hands, highlights the challenges that he may face as he tries to balance his presidential campaign with a criminal trial that will keep him busy through May.

For much of the last week, Mr. Trump’s public comments had been limited to social media posts and remarks to reporters outside the courtroom. His only campaign stop was at a bodega in New York City , in a state he overwhelmingly lost in the last two elections and that is not expected to be in play in November.

Saturday’s rally was expected to serve as a preview of the upcoming weeks, with Mr. Trump traveling on weekends to campaign in battleground states that are more central to his efforts to return to the White House.

He has repeatedly claimed that the trial is preventing him from campaigning in places like North Carolina, which he won in 2016 and 2020, but where Democrats are making a big push in November . Opening arguments are slated to start on Monday, and the trial is set to last six to eight weeks.

As is often the case with Mr. Trump’s rallies, the crowds began lining up hours ahead of his expected remarks. Among those gathered outside was a group wearing shirts with the logo of the Proud Boys, a prominent far-right extremist group. One person held a sign that read “Free All of the J6 Prisoners,” a reference to those serving sentences in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol.

Mr. Trump, who faces four criminal indictments that include charges tied to his efforts to overturn his election loss, has recently embraced dozens of Jan. 6 defendants. He has called them “hostages” and has said he would consider pardoning them.

In a statement, Ammar Moussa, a spokesman for the Biden campaign, criticized the group’s presence, pointing to remarks Mr. Trump made in a debate in 2020, in which he told the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by.”

“This is Donald Trump’s America: where white nationalists and violent far-right extremists are empowered and working families are left behind,” Mr. Moussa wrote.

Chris LaCivita, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, responded in a statement, “We don’t comment on stupid.”

Mr. Trump’s remarks were expected to face particular scrutiny given that he is under a gag order in his criminal trial that bans him from attacking witnesses, prosecutors, jurors and court staff, as well as their relatives and relatives of the judge. Prosecutors have said Mr. Trump has violated the gag order seven times, and there is a hearing about the issue on Tuesday.

Mr. Trump did travel to North Carolina earlier in the day, attending a fund-raiser in Charlotte in the afternoon. When he called into the rally, he told the attendees that he was minutes away from “flying in” to Wilmington but that the authorities “would prefer that we not come in” over safety concerns.

“I’m so sorry,” Mr. Trump said. “But we’ll do it again, and we’ll do it bigger and better. You have my promise.”

As the crowd left to seek shelter in their cars, vendors outside were still selling an array of merchandise, some of which had been created specifically for the occasion. One T-shirt promoted what it called the Wilmington stop on Mr. Trump’s “Save America” tour.

“I was there!” The shirt read. “Where were you???”

Robert Draper contributed reporting.

Kellen Browning

Kellen Browning reports on political campaigns in Nevada.

Nevada G.O.P. Senate primary heats up as the long shot goes after the front-runner.

Nevada’s once-sleepy Republican primary for Senate, which has been dominated by Sam Brown, a U.S. Army veteran, was jolted to life in the past week, when a deep-pocketed rival took aim at the front-runner.

Jeff Gunter, the ambassador to Iceland under former President Donald J. Trump, is unloading a $3.3 million advertising campaign with a MAGA message, according to his campaign, hoping to cut into Mr. Brown’s dominant lead over the crowded field.

A television ad from Mr. Gunter that began airing on Wednesday called Mr. Brown “the newest creature to emerge from the swamp,” tying him to Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader, and deriding his primary opponent as “Scam Brown.”

Mr. Brown, a veteran who was wounded severely in Afghanistan in 2008, consolidated party support after entering the primary last July, earned the endorsement of the National Republican Senatorial Committee and has appeared at fund-raisers around the country with prominent Republicans. He has lapped his competitors in fund-raising, pulling in $2.4 million in the most recent quarter, according to fund-raising reports.

Mr. Brown has sought to employ the Trump campaign handbook, skipping debates and focusing his attention on Senator Jacky Rosen, the Democratic incumbent, rather than on his Republican rivals.

That changed on Thursday, when Mr. Brown appeared to address Mr. Gunter for the first time, at a private fund-raising event in Sparks, Nev., after Mr. Gunter accused him in ads and appearances of being disingenuous and not sufficiently pro-Trump.

“You might hear some noise out there, and people who show up from places like California from seven months ago, who want to name-call me this or that,” Mr. Brown told attendees, according to a recording obtained by The New York Times. “And that’s going to happen and we expect that out of people who were literally Democrats a year ago, to play that sort of game. But just keep your head down. You know who I am.”

His comments appeared to be focused on Mr. Gunter, a wealthy dermatologist and recent transplant from California who used to be a registered Democrat.

A group backing Mr. Brown’s campaign, the Duty First PAC, ran its first television ad this week since last year, a $322,000 reservation, according to the tracking firm AdImpact. Mr. Brown’s campaign declined to comment on Mr. Gunter.

Mike Berg, a spokesman for the N.R.S.C., suggested that Mr. Gunter’s previous party affiliation and residence would be an issue for Republican voters.

“California Democrats typically support policies like defunding the police, opening our southern border and letting violent criminals out of prison, so it would be surprising if Gunter caught on in a Republican primary,” Mr. Berg said.

Mr. Brown remains the strong favorite to win the June 11 primary. A recent poll commissioned by the N.R.S.C. and Mr. Brown’s campaign and conducted by the Tarrance Group, a Republican firm, found 58 percent of likely primary voters supporting Mr. Brown, while Mr. Gunter was in fourth place with 3.2 percent.

“I still think it’s Sam Brown’s race to lose,” said Chuck Muth, a Las Vegas-based conservative political consultant. The one thing that could sway the race, Mr. Muth said, would be if Mr. Gunter could earn the endorsement of Mr. Trump, who has not yet weighed in on the primary.

Mr. Trump made several posts seeming to express his approval for Mr. Brown on Truth Social, his social media platform, this month. “Democrats are terrified of a united Trump-Brown ticket in Nevada!” one read.

In an interview, Mr. Gunter acknowledged that the N.R.S.C. had tried to dissuade him from running, and he criticized Mr. Brown, arguing that he had little to point to as far as experience or expertise other than his time in the military.

“I salute his patriotism, he served his country, he was wounded in battle. But aside from those things, he’s basically a three-time loser,” Mr. Gunter said, citing Mr. Brown’s failed bid for the Texas State House when he lived in Dallas in 2014 and his loss in the 2022 Nevada Senate primary. (Mr. Brown also explored, but eventually dropped, a run for the Nevada State Assembly.)

Mr. Gunter, who is largely self-funding his effort and lent his campaign $2.7 million last quarter, faces his own challenges in his run. Aside from his previous record as a California Democrat — he says that he now lives in Nevada, and that “the Democrat party left me” — his tenure as ambassador to Iceland has been heavily scrutinized. A 2021 report from the Office of Inspector General found that he had fostered a “threatening and intimidating environment” at the embassy. Reporting from CBS detailed his seemingly erratic behavior, including his attempts to work remotely from California during the beginning of the pandemic.

Mr. Gunter said he was “running that place like clockwork,” and that the government report was “bogus.”

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Trump cancels campaign rally in North Carolina due to stormy weather

WILMINGTON, N.C. — Former President Donald Trump canceled his North Carolina rally Saturday evening at the last minute, citing stormy weather as the cause.

Trump, who had not yet arrived to the event, called by phone to announce that the event was off as thunder and rain began to darken the outdoor rally.

"There seems to be some thunder and lightning. It’s a pretty big storm, so if you don’t mind, I think we’re going to have to just do a rain check," Trump said over the speaker system.

Following Trump's announcement, loud groans and shouts of disappointment were heard from the crowd before their swift departure.

It was set to be Trump's first rally since the start of his criminal trial in Manhattan .

Trump told the crowd that he planned to reschedule the event for a later time, promising a "rain check."

"What we’ll do is we’ll make up for this very quickly at another time, but we’ll do it as quick as possible," Trump said. "I’m so sad. I’m in North Carolina right now."

The event was taking place outdoors near the Wilmington airport. Though heavy rainfall had not yet began at the time of the cancellation, lightning strikes became increasingly visible, fueling safety concerns.

"We want to keep everybody safe. It’s the most important thing. We want everybody there to be 100% safe," Trump said.

This rally was scheduled to be Trump's second campaign event in North Carolina — a key swing state crucial to both Trump and Biden's path to victory. Trump narrowly carried the state in 2020 by a margin less than 1.5%.

Trump was in court most of the week for jury selection in his criminal trial, where he is charged with  34 counts  of first-degree falsifying business records. Prosecutors allege that he falsified business records ahead of the 2016 election to hide payments to adult firm star Stormy Daniels.

Opening statements begin in the trial on Monday, and the trial is expected to last six to eight weeks.

Nnamdi Egwuonwu is a 2024 NBC News campaign embed.

Jake Traylor is a 2024 NBC News campaign embed.

Watch CBS News

Trump cancels North Carolina rally due to severe weather

By Olivia Rinaldi

April 20, 2024 / 8:23 PM EDT / CBS News

Former President Donald Trump's return to the campaign trail following the start of his "hush money" trial in Manhattan was abruptly canceled Saturday evening after severe weather threatened Wilmington, North Carolina. 

Trump was en route from a fundraiser in Charlotte when he called into the rally — which was being held outdoors at the Wilmington airport — to tell supporters to seek shelter immediately. 

"We're flying in in a few minutes, but they really would prefer that we not come in because there's a certain danger to all of this," said Trump on a phone call that was piped into the rally speakers. "And we want to make sure that everybody is safe above all, and so they've asked us to ask people to leave the site and seek shelter." 

Trump said the campaign would reschedule the rally quickly and promised it would be "bigger and better."

The rally was slated to be his first major campaign event since Trump was ordered to be in a New York City courtroom for the duration of his trial . Jury selection was completed Friday, and opening arguments in the trial are set to begin Monday. 

Trump previously lamented that the trial has prevented him from appearing on the campaign trail during the week. 

• North Carolina
• Donald Trump
• 2024 Elections

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Trump event in Wilmington canceled as severe weather reaches the region

The campaign rally for former President Donald Trump in Wilmington has been canceled due to severe weather.

Trump was scheduled to take the stage at 7 p.m.

About 20 minutes before 7, he addressed the crowd through speaker phone that he had been advised to cancel the event due to an impending storm. Dark rain clouds filled the sky as rally goers went back to their cars.

“They’ve asked us to ask people to leave the site and seek shelter,” Trump said as the crowd groaned. “What we’ll do is we’ll make up for this very quickly at another time. ... We want to keep everybody safe.”

As the crowd clamored, Trump said there was “thunder and lightning and a great big storm.”

“So, if you don’t mind, if you could just do a rain check,” he said.

The National Weather Service in Wilmington issued a severe thunderstorm warning until about 7:15 p.m. Saturday night and a severe storm watch for the area until 10 p.m. The main threats were strong winds and hail.

As it blew through Charlotte a few hours earlier it produced 70 mph wind gusts and half-dollar-sized hail.

The Wilmington rally was supposed to be his first big campaign event since the start of his criminal trial in New York City on whether he falsified business records to cover up a payment to a porn star, marking the first-ever trial of a former American president.

He is also facing several other state and federal investigations, including into his business, his handling of classified documents and related to efforts to overturn and reverse the results of the 2020 election.

Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, is no stranger to the Port City. He hosted a rally here in 2022 prior to the state’s mid-term elections to campaign for Sen. Ted Budd, then a candidate. He most recently hosted a rally in Greensboro just days before Super Tuesday.

His competitor for the White House has also been active.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris visited Raleigh in late March, honing in on healthcare access and calling to reinstate Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that made abortion a constitutional right for decades. First lady Jill Biden visited Greensboro and Greenville on Monday.

The Democratic National Committee took Trump’s visit as an opportunity to attack the former president on abortion policy. DNC placed 16 English and Spanish billboards in Charlotte — where Trump is holding a fundraiser — and Wilmington.

The billboards read: “Abortion is banned in North Carolina thanks to Donald Trump. He won’t stop until it’s banned nationwide.”

“Donald Trump is responsible for the attacks on reproductive rights that we’re seeing in North Carolina and across the nation,” said Jackie Bush, DNC’s regional press secretary.

As Trump transitioned from celebrity to politician his views on abortion moved from one extreme to the other, and he often changes that policy position, making it hard to track what he would do if he were president. His latest position is that abortion laws should be left to the states.

“His anti-freedom agenda is already endangering the lives of women in North Carolina, but Trump and his cronies won’t stop until every woman across the country lives under an extreme national abortion ban,” Bush said. “That’s why women in North Carolina and across the country will reject Trump’s extreme bans at the ballot box this November and send President Joe Biden back to the White House.”

North Carolina Democrats also got together in Wilmington prior to the rally to touch on Trump’s work on getting Roe v. Wade overturned, and how they say it paved the way for the state’s abortion ban, which prohibits abortions after 12 weeks with exceptions.

Polls show Trump and Biden neck-and-neck in North Carolina. Last week, a Quinnipiac University poll said the race would be too close to call if the election were held today.

North Carolina is considered a swing state, but it has largely favored GOP presidential candidates, including in 2020, when Biden lost to Trump by just 1.5% of the vote. But while the state overall opted for Trump, the preference varies by county, with some swaths of the state being deeply red, while others, typically urban areas, run blue.

New Hanover, is a purple county, and was one of just three counties in North Carolina to flip between the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. The others were Nash and Scotland.

©2024 The Charlotte Observer. Visit charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Trump rally in Wilmington postponed because of severe weather

Amid Trump’s hush money trial starting this week in New York, he was scheduled to make a visit to Wilmington Saturday for a rally.  

Moments before he was set to take the stage Saturday, around 6:30 p.m., the sky grew gray and Trump announced via audio that the event was postponed to a later date because of severe weather.

"There's some very bad weather," he said. "They'd prefer we not come in. ... They've asked us to ask people to leave the site and seek shelter."

More coverage: Donald Trump rally in Wilmington

The National Weather Service in Wilmington warned of a severe thunderstorm, with winds up to 60 mph and quarter-sized hail.

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

Trump said he was devastated about the turn of events, but that he would make up for the cancellation at another time. There is no further information about a re-scheduled event yet.

"We want to keep everybody safe," he said.

Before the event was canceled, Trump fans were led in a communal prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance and the singing of the national anthem.

State Sen. Danny Britt also spoke before Trump was set to take the stage. He addressed attendees saying there’s a battle in the General Assembly, a battle at the border and a battle at the ballot box. He charged people with using their phones to spread the word and encouraging others to vote.

“This [election] is the most important of our lifetime right now," Britt said.

Unwavering support for Trump despite trials

Trump is up against seven civil and criminal cases and is the the first former president to face criminal charges, but some attendees said they still support him.

Voters in the Tar Heel state could help determine his fate this November considering elections are often won by 1 to 2 percent. In the last presidential election in 2020, Trump won the state by just over 1%.

For Katherine Huey, a 25-year-old nurse practitioner from New Hanover County, the trials have not altered her support. She has been a Trump fan since she was able to vote and she appreciates his authenticity and wants a president who decreases taxes.

“I think people would rally behind him,” Huey said. “It would kind of show more people that our government is corrupt and they’re trying to take down the Republican party any which way they can."

Huey, a young voter, said young people are being brainwashed in college and that’s one reason why there aren’t as many visible young supporters of Trump.

More: Younger voters can influence North Carolina elections. What do they care about?

Thomas Grier, 41, the owner of a remodeling and restoration company who lives in Hampstead, appreciates Trump’s business mindset.

He would rather vote for someone like Ben Carson, but between Biden and Trump, he said he would choose Trump. Grier has been lightly following Trump’s trials, but the outcome of the them won't sway his opinion, he said.

“I feel like everybody breaks laws here and there,” Grier said. “In my opinion, most politicians have ghosts in their closet, you know what I mean, or skeletons per se."

Just days before Super Tuesday, Trump was in North Carolina where he endorsed the Republican gubernatorial candidate, Mark Robinson , at a Greensboro rally. And the last time he was in the Port City was in 2022 for his “Save America” rally.

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How to connect local food with communities in Wilmington

The weather is warming, the pollinators are swarming, and our local food scene is more vibrant than ever.

This is my favorite time of year because after a winter of mostly delicious greens, we are entering one of our most diverse produce seasons.

Over the next several weeks, our local farmers will be bringing in a beautiful variety of colorful foods. There is a lot of research and personally held beliefs around purchasing local food. Is it healthier? More nutritious?  More sustainable and environmentally friendly?

The answer is: It’s complicated. You may be surprised to hear that some of the strongest evidence of the benefits of local food systems are actually on the community level rather than the individual level. 

Research suggests that strong local food systems increase collective community work and create stronger social ties and networks, which often leads to more civic engagement.

Oftentimes these community connections lead to communities organizing around local issues such as food insecurity, but local food markets can sometimes exclude consumers with lower incomes or those who are located farther away.

In our local community, organizations such as Frankie’s Outdoor Market/Northside Food Coop, Feast Down East, and the Wilmington Farmers Market, are working to remove those barriers and use local food as a catalyst for addressing the broader issue of food insecurity.  

A couple of our local markets, the Wilmington Farmers Market and Feast Down East Mobile Market, offer “Fresh Bucks.” This program allows people who utilize SNAP/EBT to double their bucks to purchase locally grown food, allowing farmers to be paid full price and people to stretch their dollars. Research shows that matching SNAP dollars at farmers markets positively affects fruit and vegetable consumption, so the program is a win-win.  

This program can be grant funded, individually sponsored, or supported by fundraising efforts. It is the latter for the Wilmington Farmers Market, and they are holding their fundraiser on May 1 at Malachi Meadows.

You can enjoy a whole hog pig pickin’ with sides highlighting the best local ingredients prepared by Chef Em and Kim of No Labels, and even can opt-in for an additional farm tour as well.

This will be an evening of delicious food and fun while supporting a program that helps make healthy food more accessible. You can learn more about the farmers market at thewilmingtonfarmersmarket.com , and buy tickets for the event under the “store” tab.  

Morgan King is the Family & Consumer Sciences Agent for N.C. Cooperative Extension Center - New Hanover County Center located at the arboretum, 6206 Oleander Drive, Wilmington. The gardens are free and open daily 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Reach her at [email protected] or 910-798-7660.