Hundreds turn out for Trump rally
EL CENTRO – If Imperial County has no chance of influencing the outcome of the presidential election in California, that wasn’t going to deter the hundreds of all ages who turned out at the former Lucky’s supermarket parking lot Saturday for a parade and rally in support of President Donald Trump.
In fact, event organizer Dan Flores, a correctional officer from Imperial and a delegate in the state GOP, acknowledged Saturday’s event wasn’t likely to paint California red.
“This isn’t a battleground state,” he said, “but a lot of people here have family and friends who live in battleground states who may still be undecided. We want this energy to spread (to those states).”
Saturday’s parade involved an estimated 400 cars. It traveled north to Brawley and passed through Imperial before returning to El Centro.
For Flores, who grew up Democrat and switched parties as a student at University of California, Riverside, support of Donald Trump represents support for stability, public safety and the rule of law.
“He’s a law and order president,” Flores said. “The overwhelming majority of law enforcement support him.”
Flores also observed that many participants in Saturday’s rally, including himself, were Hispanic.
“Hispanic values are Republican values,” he said, citing examples such as love of family, God and country.
Reynaldo Gastelum, a retired correctional officer who lives in Imperial, is another local voter of Hispanic heritage who strongly supports Trump.
In his mind, Saturday’s rally was simply a matter of showing the president he has a lot of support. “We’re not doing this because the president needs us,” Gastelum said. “We’re doing it because we want to.”
Imperial Valley Navy League President Ted Gallinat circulated through the crowd Saturday before the parade in full Uncle Sam attire. He said one of the reasons he was on hand was his concern over what might happen in the country were to fall under strictly Democratic control.
“I am concerned with the future of the nation if we elect a Democrat as president,” he said.
This was the second large Trump rally in as many weeks. A similar event on Oct. 17 attracted about 300 vehicles.