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Ahead of debate, Trump will host N.H. meeting
Donald Trump, shown in N.H. in September, will be in Sandown Thursday and take questions from the audience (John Locher/associated press)
By James Pindell
Globe Staff

Donald Trump will host a last-minute, small town hall meeting in New Hampshire on Thursday night — days before he will participate in a presidential debate featuring a similar question-and-answer format.

Details of the invitation-only event are not public, but a Trump campaign aide confirmed the GOP nominee will be at the small, historic Sandown Town Hall and take questions from the audience. Sandown is a ­Republican-leaning town, just north of the Massachusetts border.

Trump has rarely held town hall meeting events, mainly sticking to large rallies and not taking questions since he won the nomination this year. But coming off a lackluster first presidential debate performance, Trump’s campaign is seeking a rebound in his second meeting on Sunday with Hillary Clinton. Audience members at the debate will be asking the candidates most of the questions instead of a moderator. Trump’s New Hampshire trip would mark the sixth time that he has visited the state since he won its presidential primary in February. He was last in New Hampshire Thursday for a rally in Bedford.

The selection of the Sandown might also suggest the influence of Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey in Trump’s debate preparations. Christie is reportedly helping Trump have a better handle on the town hall style of campaigning, a format that helped Christie become a national figure.

During the New Hampshire primary campaign last year, Christie held a town hall meeting at the Sandown Town Hall and created some campaign ads based on the event.

James Pindell can be reached at james.pindell@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @jamespindell or subscribe to his daily e-mail update on the 2016 campaign at www.boston globe.com/groundgame.