La Crosse audience anticipated a Trump rally. So did Trump.

Heading into Donald Trump’s event Thursday night, at the La Crosse Center, some in the audience weren’t sure what they were getting.

Josh Nichols drove 10 hours from Wichita, Kansas, to see Trump for the first time.

“I didn’t even know it was a town hall,” he said. “I just knew Trump was doing it, so I was like, ‘I finally got a week free from work, so I’m going.'”

Lauren Bergeron came from Dubuque, Iowa, but didn’t initially know Trump was doing a town hall.

“I figured it out ahead of time, but I thought it was a rally,” she said.

And Sam Gagnon, who goes to UW-La Crosse, maybe heard it was a town hall — but it may as well have been a rally.

“I didn’t really know the difference to be honest,” he said, adding that once he understood, he was excited to be seeing a town hall and would have loved to ask Trump a question.

All of them were happy to see a former, and perhaps future president. And none of them should feel bad about not knowing the format.

Before taking any audience questions, Trump started the town hall feeling the exact same way.

“I figured I was going to come here and we’re going to make a speech,” Trump said. “I have a speech all set for you. I was ready. [And they said, you’re] doing a town hall. I said, ‘Oh, nobody told me that.’ I said, ‘Who’s doing this? Tulsi?’ I said, ‘Well, that’s at least good news.'”

Trump, referring to moderator Tulsi Gabbard, continued, “She’s been, I’ve been a fan of hers for a long time, after, so, so, I didn’t even know. I’m in the plane, and looking over some material, and we’re going to give you a hell of a speech tonight. We were set to give you one hell of a speech. They said, ‘No, sir, it’s a town hall.’ I said, ‘Why doesn’t somebody tell me this stuff?’”

Trump took four questions from the audience and Gabbard brought up two topics.

In all, the event lasted about 35 minutes. Campaign staff said it was cut short because of an incoming storm, in which rain definitely came down hard about an hour later.