December 19, 2024

Dozens of attendees stranded after vehicles towed during Trump rally in Charlotte: report

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Dozens of Donald Trump supporters in North Carolina were startled to find their vehicles had been towed after they reportedly got permission to park in a Dunkin’ Donuts parking lot during a campaign rally Wednesday.

The Charlotte rally was the former president’s first public campaign event since President Biden’s exit from the 2024 race and since the assassination attempt on Trump.

The Secret Service has reportedly recommended no more outdoor rallies for the former president after the assassination attempt.

Once the rally ended, drivers were stunned to find their vehicles had been towed.

TRUMP QUICKLY MOVES TO DEFINE HARRIS AS ‘MORE LEFT THAN BERNIE SANDERS’

Former President Donald Trump criticizes Vice President Kamala Harris at a rally in North Carolina

Former President Trump, the GOP presidential nominee, headlines a rally in Charlotte, N.C., July 24, 2024. (Fox News/Paul Steinhauser)

Drivers told WBTV the manager of the Dunkin’ allowed them to leave their cars in the lot during the rally. However, when asked for comment, they said several people were told they could not park there and that signs on the property indicate no parking for non-customers.

Tow trucks reportedly showed up and began removing vehicles from the parking lot during the rally.

“The managers inside promised that they could park here,” Zander DeSoto, a Trump rally attendee, told WBTV. “Some of the people here even gave money to the people inside.”

TRUMP CRITICIZES HARRIS AS HE RETURNS TO THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL IN A TRANSFORMED 2024 RACE

Crowd at Trump rally in Charlotte, North Carolina

Former President Trump repeatedly criticized Vice President Kamala Harris on border security at his rally in Charlotte, N.C., July 24, 2024. (Fox News/Paul Steinhauser )

To make matters worse, people whose vehicles were towed from the Dunkin’ parking lot had to pay hundreds of dollars to a towing company to get their cars back. 

“Something very fishy [is] going on here because I’ve never seen anything like this happen before,” one attendee told WBTV.

Another man said when he confronted the Dunkin’ manager, the shop’s employees locked the doors and refused to exit.

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Donald Trump holds his first campaign rally since Vice President Kamala Harris replaced President Biden atop the Democratic Party's 2024 ticket

The crowd inside the Bojangles Coliseum ahead of former President Trump’s appearance at a rally in Charlotte, N.C., July 24, 2024. (Fox News/Paul Steinhauser)

“The whole parking lot is gone … everybody,” he explained. “They locked the doors. They won’t answer our calls, and they won’t even answer at the window.”

One family told WBTV they traveled over two hours to attend the rally. And when they walked back to their car afterward, it was gone. 

Gotcha Towing & Recovery, the company tasked with towing vehicles from the parking lot, told WBTV there was a sign warning that illegally parked cars would be removed. 

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The towing company added that the manager of the store contacted the business asking it to pull the vehicles off the property. The only way people could get their cars was to pay a $380 towing fee.

Fox News Digital reached out to Gotcha Towing & Recovery, which refused to comment. 

Fox News Digital also reached out to Dunkin’ for comment.