A Trump supporter who attended Friday evening's rally in Charlotte, N.C., said he thinks former President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sent themselves bombs in order to score political capital for the Democrats ahead of the midterm elections.

NBC News' Ali Vitali spoke to a man named Avril Runyon, identified as a supporter of President Trump, before the event, asking about the bomb scare this week.

"Barack Obama probably sent his to hisself, and Hillary Clinton probably sent hers to herself," Runyon said. He said the man arrested earlier in the day, Cesar Altieri Sayoc Jr., for his suspected role in mailing out the explosives was "probably not" behind the act.

Asked what the upside would be for prominent Democrats to send themselves the bombs, Runyon replied, "Trying to bring people — feeling — over to their side."


Pipe bombs were sent to several Democratic figures through the mail this week, including Obama and Clinton. CNN's office in New York was evacuated earlier this week due to a suspicious package sent to former CIA Director John Brennan, who is a commentator for MSNBC/NBC News, not CNN. Another package found Friday was addressed to former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper at CNN.

Sayoc, of Aventura, Fla., was arrested Friday at an AutoZone store in Plantation, Fla. He has been charged with five federal crimes, interstate transportation of an explosive, illegal mailing of explosives, threats against former presidents and certain other persons, threatening interstate communications, and assaulting current and former federal officers. The windows of his white van, which was picked by authorities, bore pro-Trump decals and at least one that said, "CNN Sucks.”

Trump returned to North Carolina on Friday for a "Make America Great Again" rally to help boost GOP candidates ahead of the 2018 midterm elections less than two weeks away. Despite the week's bomb scare, the raucous crowd in Charlotte chanted "CNN sucks" and "Lock her up" slogans, the second of which was created for Clinton, throughout the evening.