I anticipated loud and belligerent people shouting racial slurs and incoherent thoughts about a wall. I imagined that I would be swallowed in some deluge of protesters. I thought I would be uncomfortable at the remarks of the candidate. My expectations were shattered.
Upon my arrival, the first thing I noticed was a bundle of protesters slowly forming. It was only 3:00 in the afternoon, so I knew the group would grow by the time the rally starts later into the evening. I was there so early because I wanted to in one of the first standing rows of people by the stage. For the most part, the Hillary and Bernie supporters were quiet in the beginning, however their voices grew louder with their numbers later that night. They kept their distance as they stood behind an iron fence that separated the supporters from the opposition.
This venture required me to stand in line for about two hours, which allowed me to observe and listen to the Trump supporters in their natural habitat. What I quickly realized was the diversity of everyone on line: there were men and women of all ages, economic classes, and races. Young boys from local high schools stood in line talking about our debt with China. Men in coveralls were discussing their desire to keep jobs and financial support from going overseas. Immigrants from Latin America and European countries were fired up about “the wall” and tightening immigration laws because they did not want to undermine their hard work that led them to becoming legal citizens. The diversity was refreshing because I guess I expected to see one type of person times a couple thousand.
The line itself was calm. Everyone was talking about three things: why they respect Donald J. Trump, why they distrust Hillary Clinton, and why Bernie Sanders’ economics would never work. The interesting part was how in-depth the conversations went. People gathered with their neighbors in line and engaged in interesting discussions. There wasn’t much shouting or chanting in the line, except for this one man who would instigate a cheer of “Build the wall!” or “Hillary for prison!” He kept things lively while he sported his “Make America Great Again” hat, but his loud ways earned him the attention of the press, who came over with cameras to interview him.
On camera, he kept shouting and chanting and everyone in line watched because it was entertaining, which is exactly why he was the only person in the line to have been interviewed by multiple media sources. None of the college students, business men and women, or mechanics earned the right to show their support on camera. Only this boisterous fanatic could represent the large and diverse crowd in the media circuits.
Once inside the gym, I was four people away from where Trump was going to speak. Shoulder to shoulder, I stood with 2500 people packed inside and waited for a few more hours. Opening speakers came out and rallied up the crowd as a sort of warm up for Trump. Each person who spoke had a military background and was currently working in successful careers. There were two common threads between the speakers: they were tired of the career politicians making empty promises and they were afraid of a Hillary Clinton presidency because she has lost their trust on multiple occasions. These talking points accurately reflected the true feelings of the audience. Every inside was tired and scared, but beyond their fear was hope.
Trump earned more of their hope and support when he finally took the stage. The crowded erupted in cheers and Donald Trump went on with his speech in his candid and passionate manor. There were ideas thrown around about taxation and keeping jobs in the country that I have never heard him talk about before. Along with his ideas, it was evident about how much he cared about making changes in the country. His attitude did not seem disrespectful, but more optimistic. It seemed to me that he actually really wanted to earn the presidency in order to lead America onto a stronger path. More than anything, his message resonated with the people. He feels people’s frustration and he understands the hatred of Hillary Clinton. Trump knows that people desire a candidate who not is polished with promises they will never keep. He is off script and honest. At this rally, he fed off the palpable energy in the room, and continued to assure his audience that America’s best days are ahead of us. The crowd felt heard.
This is my first election in which I can vote. The excitement and hope for change that I saw in this rally reminds me of what I saw on T.V. of the Obama campaign rallies leading up to his first election. I was too young to fully comprehend the 2008 election, but I still remember people's optimism around Obama's campaign. Approaching the 2008 election, many people were frustrated with the current state of the union and did not feel like the government was listening to their concerns. Obama gave these people a voice and ultimately gave these people a president in which they could feel confident. Today, Trump is doing the same.
Leaving the rally, everyone felt confident in their candidate and his ability to follow through on his plans. However, the pleasant attitudes were greeting by a loud and fully grown protesting crowd. Walking by, I heard horrible things being shouted by the protest groups. They called the Trump supporters racist and homosexual slurs; comments were directed to the Trump supporters about going back to their incestuous red-neck homes. Every curse word and slur name was shouted by the protesters, but most of the Trump supporters did not engage and just went to their cars. I don’t know why I was so shocked by this, but I guess I had anticipated general civility from the liberal groups and that the rowdiness would have stemmed from the Trump supporters. At least, that is what I had gathered from the media coverage of these events.
The next day when I turned on the news, I did not hear of Trump’s plan to tax companies that leave our country or his plan to negotiate a fair trade agreement with China. Instead, there were sound bites repeated that were out of context and misleading. The clip of the loud fanatic in line in front of me was on repeat. Nothing was said of the protesters and their ill manor. Those who were not at the rally would probably watch this on the news in disgrace, which is exactly why I wanted to go. I wanted to see for myself what it is like to be in a sea of Trump supporters and listen to Trump himself speak for an uninterrupted forty-five minutes. I walked away pleasantly surprised at the nature of the crowd and by the sentiments of the presumptive Republican nominee. I just hope the rest of the country sees this side of Trump and his supporters, not to try and persuade them to vote for him, but because it is the truth.
