GOP presidential hopefuls prepare for Greensboro appearances

Friday was the first full day of the North Carolina GOP Convention in Greensboro.

Florida governor and presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis was scheduled to speak at 6:30 Friday at the convention’s "Old North State Dinner." Former Vice President Mike Pence and former President Donald Trump are both expected to speak Saturday. It will be one of Trump’s first public appearances since being indicted on charges of mishandling classified documents.

People crowded among the booths offering information on GOP candidates and conservative causes in a lobby of the Koury Convention Center.

Joy Hadden previously lived in Greensboro but now lives in western North Carolina. She came to the convention to show support for Trump.

“I am very concerned for the state of our country, I want to get involved," she said. "Donald J. Trump is here, I get to see him. And he’s the one that woke us up.”

Schools were on the mind of Amy Rosenthal, who came to the convention from Orange County.

“Education is a passion of mine," she said. "I’m very concerned kids are not learning like they should be.”

North Carolina is expected to be a key battleground state in the 2024 election.