Trump supporters

Hours before the rally began, Mary Hersey, 57, walked in alongside a friend while holding a pink “Women for Trump” flag. She said she was attending “just to let [Trump] know that we support him at this crucial time in our democracy.”

“I feel like there’s a lot of women out here that don’t get him,” she said. “They see him as a person that puts women down, or a racist or something like that.”

Hersey owns a screen printing and embroidery business, and she said she trusts Trump to help the economy recover from the coronavirus pandemic. For herself and other small business owners, she said an important partof that recovery is keeping tax rates low

Hersey held a mask in her hands and she said she planned to wear it inside. Being around a crowd during a pandemic is not a concern for her, she said, adding shewas glad Trump was able to hold the rally.

“I think it’s great the doctors released him,” she said. “I know lots of people that have had COVID for 8-10 days, and they’re back outworking.”

Yolanda Delvalle, a kindergarten teacher from Orlando, said supporting Trump was important enough for her to brave the wait for the rally to start after a full work day.

Surrounded by people wearing red ballcaps and no face coverings, Delvalle stood out by wearing a white cloth mask — a “personal choice,” she noted.

“I’m around children every day, and I don’t know the exposure that they’ve had,” she said.“… Idon’t fear getting the virus here today. I choose to wear the mask. My children and husband are choosing not to; it’s okay. I think I’m just used to it.”

On Saturday, Trump held a rally at the White House thatwas officially a government event but featured the president exhorting his supporters to vote. Trump spoke for about 18 minutes out of a planned half-hour. ABC News reported that some of the rallygoers may have been paid to attend.

Despite being outdoors, both that event and events with Vice President Mike Pence in Orlando and The Villages on Saturday featured little social distancing and many attendees not wearing or taking off masks.