President Donald Trump is expected to campaign in Rock Hill, South Carolina, on Thursday, October 29, with doors scheduled to open at 9 a.m. and his remarks set to begin at 12:30 p.m. The rally venue had not yet been announced as of this week, leaving thousands of expected attendees waiting on details just days before the event.
According to FOX Carolina News, Trump will be in Rock Hill on Thursday as part of his continued push to stump for Republicans ahead of the November 3 midterms. The outlet reports that doors are scheduled to open at 9 a.m., with remarks beginning at 12:30 p.m. A separate report from WYFF states the event itself is slated to begin at 11 a.m., with Trump's remarks still set for 12:30 p.m. — a discrepancy neither outlet has reconciled. WYFF also notes that an RSVP is required to attend, with tickets available through the event's ticket page.
The Rock Hill stop lands in the Charlotte, North Carolina media market and is expected to boost Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley in his race against former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, according to The Hill. The visit comes the week after Trump campaigned in Clemson to support Sen. Darline Graham against Democrat Annie Andrews, the same outlet reports.
A Rocky Pendleton Rally Still Fresh in Memory
Trump's Rock Hill appearance follows an October 21 rally at Clemson's T. Ed Garrison Arena in Pendleton that was marked by repeated disruptions. The Anderson County Sheriff's Office said two incident reports were filed in connection with that event, per the same FOX Carolina account.
One of those reports involved an alleged assault: a victim said an unknown suspect put him in a headlock and punched him in the head, neck and chest, according to an assault report cited by FOX Carolina. The case was listed as assault and battery in the third degree and has been assigned to an investigator, though no suspect had been named as of that report.
The second report resulted in an arrest. Christina Michelle Stokes, 56, was taken into custody for trespassing after failing to leave when ordered to do so, the station's report states; she has since bonded out.
A Pattern Seen at Other Trump Rallies Nationwide
The Pendleton incident is not an isolated one on Trump's midterm circuit. At a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, a woman was attacked by at least two men and no charges were filed, according to the Post and Courier. In San Antonio, Texas, the Bexar County Sheriff's Office was investigating reports that protesters were hit, shoved and punched while being escorted from a Trump event, the same outlet reported.
Trump's Rock Hill visit is part of a broader sprint through the final stretch before Election Day. The Hill reports he is slated to visit Mississippi, Texas, Ohio and Florida on other days in the same week, underscoring how heavily the president is leaning into the campaign trail as Republicans fight to hold Senate seats. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates North Carolina's Senate race as likely Democratic and recently moved South Carolina's race from likely Republican to lean Republican, per The Hill's reporting.
Rock Hill's History With Trump Rallies
This will not be Trump's first time drawing a crowd in Rock Hill. He brought his first presidential campaign to Winthrop University on January 8, 2016, as a Republican candidate, according to FOX Carolina. He returned to Winthrop Coliseum on February 23, 2024, on the eve of the South Carolina Republican primary.
FOX Carolina says it will provide updates on the venue, parking and road closures as the October 29 rally approaches. For now, Rock Hill residents and would-be attendees are left watching for an announcement on where, exactly, the president will take the stage.
