Rev. Faith Green Timmons walks off stage after interrupting Donald Trump as he spoke during a visit to Bethel United Methodist Church on Sept. 14, 2016, in Flint, Mich. | AP Photo Trump on Flint pastor: 'She was like a nervous mess'

The pastor in Flint, Michigan, who interrupted Donald Trump as he ripped into Hillary Clinton on Wednesday "was like a nervous mess" as she introduced him, the Republican nominee said Thursday, adding that he "figured something was up."

"Well, I was in Flint yesterday, and it was a very interesting experience and got unbelievably good treatment from people, I must say, and even in that audience, the treatment was great. But something was up because I noticed she was so nervous when she introduced me," Trump said in a telephone interview with "Fox & Friends," saying that Bethel United Methodist Church pastor Faith Green Timmons "was so nervous, she was shaking" when she introduced him for his speech.


In a Facebook post, Timmons wrote before the appearance that Trump would not "use us," adding, "HE WILL NOT USE US, WE will EDUCATE HIM!!!"

"Some have suggested online that they were out to sabotage you by putting that up. When she says she was trying to educate you — the congregation — were they trying to educate you about what was going on in Flint?" co-host Steve Doocy asked Trump.

Trump recalled thinking that the situation was "sort of strange."

"And then she came up. So she had that in mind. No question about it," Trump said.

Asked whether it bothered him, Trump said it did not.

"I mean, everyone plays their games. It doesn't bother me. I'll tell you what made me feel good, the audience was saying let him speak, let him speak, and the audience was so great, and these are mostly African-American people, phenomenal people, and they want to see change," Trump said.

An NPR reporter present for the event disputed Trump’s characterization on multiple points.

“Pastor Faith Green Timmons introduced Trump to the predominantly African-American crowd of about 50 people, and she didn't appear nervous at all,” Scott Detrow wrote in a post Thursday.

“That isn't true,” Detrow wrote. “In fact, several audience members began to heckle Trump, asking pointed questions about whether he racially discriminated against black tenants as a landlord.”

On "Fox & Friends," Trump discussed the plight of Flint residents, remarking, "you have to see, the crime rate over there is ridiculous."

"The whole place is — not only the water, the water is what — what they did with the water is horrible, but the crime rate and all the other problems they have and people want to see — you know when I use the expression, I say what do you have to lose? I'm going to fix it. I'm going to fix it. What do you have to lose? And I'll tell you the audience was fantastic," Trump said. "But she was so nervous. She was like a nervous mess, and so I figured something — I figured something was up, really.”