President Trump rallies South Florida faithful
The two diametrically opposed world views of President Donald Trump came together in one place Tuesday: the BB&T Center, where Trump held one of his signature rallies.
Inside, a devoted crowd welcomed home the president, who recently declared himself a Florida resident. Outside, protesters displayed scorn and fury, along with the Baby Trump balloon, the orange-haired inflatable infant clad in a diaper and clutching a cellphone.
Trump didn’t hold back. He whipped the crowd into a chant of “bullshit” when discussing the impeachment charges against him. He took shots at “Sleepy Joe Biden.” He railed against the “corrupt” media. He played up crowd favorites, declaring that he was building his wall. He addressed his health telling the crowd his “gorgeous chest” is just fine.
At one moment, he said he would defend Thanksgiving from anyone who would want to change its name, and he assured his fans he would easily win a second term.
“The crazy Democrats are going down in an landslide and that landslide is going to start right here in the great state of Florida,” Trump said.
Trump supporters packed the arena, filling it to capacity. They wore shirts with slogans like “No Quid Pro Quo” and “Read the Transcript.” Florida’s top politicians, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, briefly joined Trump on stage.
Trump took the stage about 7:30 p.m. in front of thousands of cheering supporters at the Sunrise arena, where supporters started arriving as soon as the parking lots opened at 7 a.m. for a “homecoming” campaign rally.
The crowd was enthusiastic, cheering many of Trump lines and offering boos when he mentioned an an enemy. During a pause, a few people in the crowd started shouting, “We love you!”
The arena, which can hold more than 20,000 people, was filled to capacity. (Trump asserted that the news media wouldn’t report the size of his crowd.)
Trump forcefully decried the impeachment investigation that is dominating the political landscape.
The president said everybody says “that’s really bullshit.” The crowd responded by chanting “bullshit.”
“We had virtually no rights, no due process,” during the inquiry he said, using his favorite epithet for the U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff of California, chairman of the Intelligence Committee and leader of the impeachment investigation, calling him “Shifty Schiff.”
Trump brought up one of his most controversial recent decisions, intervening on behalf of three military men convicted in war crimes cases, touting it as standing up for the nation’s warriors.
Trump brought up his sudden, Nov. 16 trip to Walter Reed National Medical Center, which prompted lots of speculation that the president had an unannounced health problem. The president repeated the
White House staff explanation that he had a free Saturday so he decided to get a head start on his annual physical, which isn’t due until next year.
He said he’s perfectly healthy. “Let me tell you, if I didn’t feel great, I wouldn’t be ranting and raving to 21-22,000 people.”
Trump used it as a reason to attack the news media — and to encourage the crowd to boo, referring to “that stupid, corrupt, horrible CNN,” and adding, “We don’t have freedom of the press. We have a very dishonest press.”
The president made mention of the holiday season, with a notable assertion: He claimed there’s an effort, which he says he’s resisting, to change the name of Thanksgiving. He didn’t say what name the supposed opponents of Thanksgiving want to use.
Trump took a mid-rally break, calling up a slew of Florida Republicans to the stage, and turning the mic over to DeSantis, who he called “one of the most popular governors anywhere in the country.”
Much of the credit for DeSantis’ August 2018 Republican primary win goes to Trump, who backed him enthusiastically. Trump recalled DeSantis performance in his former job, as a member of Congress, when he was “always protecting me from the Russian witch hunt.”
Trump also told the crowd that DeSantis is in great physical shape. Trump said he used to think DeSantis was overweight when he saw him on TV. But in person, he realized “That’s all power. That’s all muscle.” He said DeSantis should wear suit jacket less so all can see how buff he is.
DeSantis touted his signature on legislation banning sanctuary cities, putting conservatives on the state Supreme Court, and getting rid of vestiges of Common Core curriculum.
Trump also introduced and called up to the stage Republican U.S. Reps. Matt Gatez, Bill Posey, Gus Bilirakis, Michael Waltz, and Brian Mast . He also hailed Attorney General Ashley Moody, Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez and CFO Jimmy Patronis and former Attorney General Pam Bondi.
(Mast, who represents northern Palm Beach County, and Nunez are the only ones from South Florida, where many of the top elected officials are Democrats.)
Earlier, Brad Parscale, Trump’s campaign manager and a Fort Lauderdale resident, warmed up the crowd, by telling them Trump was building a “big beautiful wall.”
“They are not going to take our guns,” he said. “They are not going to take our health care and give you socialized medicine. They are not going to flood our country with a bunch of illegal immigrants.”
Inside the arena, Trump supporters said they felt confident in the president.
“It was amazing. Awesome. Better than he is on TV,” said Heidi Guilino of Lake Worth. “He speaks from the heart, he’s real and he really loves the United States of America.”
Mary Jude Smith, 72, of Lantana, wore a shirt that read “Trump’s Tweets Matter.” She said this is her fourth Trump rally.
“I got three three hours of sleep last night and didn’t have any coffee this morning, but I am just pumped,” she said. “He has something that just energizes us.”
Smith said she thinks Democrats, particularly former Vice President Joe Biden, will have “zero chance” in 2020 of defeating Trump.
“He’ll make mincemeat of him,” she said.
Howard Tistle of Fort Lauderdale described himself as an avid Trump supporter who couldn’t pass up the chance to see the president.
“I don’t take issue with anything he’s done. I get so frustrated with my liberal friends,” Tistle said. “Sure he tweets and he’s obnoxious at times, but my liberal friends can’t look beyond that.”
Tistle said he’s been a lifelong conservative, but strayed in 2008, and voted for Democrat Barack Obama. Now he’s so firmly in the Trump camp that on social media, “I’m a nut case as far as promoting Trump.”
Opponents outside of the arena weren’t shy about voicing their displeasure. They inflated a “Baby Trump” balloon that depicted the president in a a diaper and clutching a cellphone. When the balloon went up, Trump supporters shouted “four more years” and objected to socialism. Trump opponents countered with “lock him up” and “drain the swamp.”
Julie James, 49, a Brevard County resident, held a sign that read “I’m standing here holding a sign on my day off. That’s how upset I am.” James said she thinks Trump hasn’t tackled the issue of gun violence.
“I can’t believe he would come within just miles of Parkland,” she said. “He’s done nothing.”
Trump also assailed former Vice President Joe Biden, a leading Democratic candidate for president. He referred to Biden with his favorite negative nickname, “Sleepy Joe,” and said Biden’s son Hunter needs to be called to account for his business dealings.
“The fake news doesn’t want to bring it up,” he said.
In a statement to the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Biden slammed Trump early Tuesday afternoon.
The Democratic presidential candidate said the Trump administration’s attacks on the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, threaten the health care of Floridians.
“Before even becoming a ‘resident’ of Florida, Donald Trump has already betrayed his new neighbors on the issue they care most about: health care. Donald Trump has tried time and time again to repeal the Affordable Care Act and eliminate protections for the close to 8 million Floridians living with pre-existing conditions like cancer, diabetes, or asthma,” Biden said, warning insurance companies could deny coverage or increase premiums.
Trump announced earlier this fall that he now considers Florida his home, specifically his beloved Mar-aLago Club in Palm Beach, where he’s spending Thanksgiving.
Florida is also a critical state in 2020. With 29 electoral votes, it’s the largest of the swing states that will determine who wins the presidency.