Red hats, American flag apparel and eye-catching costumes littered the Coastal Carolina University campus Saturday morning ahead of former President Donald Trump’s scheduled appearance.

The line to get into the HTC Center, where Trump is set to speak at 2 p.m., was backed up by 9:30 a.m. all around a nearby football practice field, along the sidewalk of Chanticleer Drive past the TD Sports Complex.

Some supporters arrived as early as 4 a.m. for their chance to see the Republican front-runner speak.

Near the front of the line, Matthew Misniewski, a 20-year-old CCU student from Maryland, told The Sun News he was excited for the chance to go to a Trump rally after not being old enough to vote during the 2020 presidential election.

“I’m a young conservative and stand with President Trump on the issues,” he said.

Fellow CCU freshman Jacob Goff, clad in a red, white and blue three-piece suit, said he’s always wanted to vote for Trump, and he was interested to hear the former president talk about what changes he planned to make if he’s elected back into office.

Neil Lynch, of Surfside Beach, dressed up as Santa and held a sign declaring that Santa supports Trump.

Lynch, who called himself “Saltie Santa,” told The Sun News this was the first time he’d ever attended a Trump rally, and he feels it’s important to get him back in office because he’s more equipped than current President Joe Biden to speak to fellow world leaders and avoid an unneeded war.

Speaking about Trump’s competitor in the coming Republican primary, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Lynch said he wouldn’t mind voting for her if she runs in four year, but he believes Trump is needed now to get the country out of trouble.

Billy Hinson, of Myrtle Beach, told The Sun News he likes Haley despite disagreeing with her on a couple stances, including removing the Confederate flag from the statehouse grounds when she was governor, but he’s a much bigger Trump supporter.

“He’s the best thing since ice cream,” Hinson said. “Every time I hear his voice, it gives me courage and makes me proud to be an American.”

Steven Reed, of Tennessee, was one of several merchants selling Trump memorabilia to those standing in line.

He said he’s been to more than 100 events supporting the former president since 2020, and he donates a portion of anything he sells to Trump’s campaign effort.

Reed noted that his best-seller “by far” is the red “Make American Great Again” hat.

A small group of protesters, primarily CCU students, gathered across from the HTC Center after supporters were allowed to begin moving inside.

Kaci Dozier, a senior at the university, said the protest wasn’t about the politics behind the rally, but rather about the administration’s lack of attention toward student safety in holding the event.

“Freshman students are locked in their dorms because they’re terrified of all the unidentified bodies on campus,” she said.

Jordan Klepper, a comedian who often appears on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” was also spotted Saturday speaking on camera with local Trump supporters.

Sun News reporter Ben Morse contributed to this report.