Trump fires up Orlando crowd, promises to keep fighting, winning

President Donald Trump touched all the bases for his political base Tuesday, as he fired up his audience at a massive campaign rally the Amway Center in downtown Orlando.

The campaign billed it as the official kickoff of the president's bid for reelection in 2020, although Trump filed his re-election paperwork the same day he was inaugurated.

The crowd gave Trump an overwhelming endorsement of his 2020 campaign slogan —  "Keep America Great." And Trump promised that voters will deliver what he called "an earthquake at the ballot box" in the 2020 presidential election.

"We are going to keep on working, keep on fighting, and keep on winning, winning, winning," Trump told his audience.

Also speaking at the rally were Vice President Mike Pence and members of the Trump family.

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With his 75-minute-long "Announcement Day" speech in Orlando, Trump brought his campaign into a Democratic stronghold city that is part of the "I-4 Corridor" of Central Florida that is likely to be crucial to the 2020 presidential election. Florida is a key battleground state, and the I-4 Corridor is a key to winning Florida.

Trump touched on the spectrum of hot-button issues with his supporters — border security, the right to bear arms, abortion, health care, school choice, the economy, trade, tax reform, reduced federal regulation, assistance for military veterans.

Of interest to the Space Coast, Trump briefly touched on his plans to "land astronauts on the surface of Mars" and to create a Space Force in the military.

The crowd was particularly pumped up when Trump told them that progress is being made on construction of a wall to protect the United States from illegal immigration from Mexico. 

"The wall is moving along rapidly," Trump said. "It's stronger, bigger, better and cheaper."

Trump also claimed to have accomplished more in his first 2½ years in office than any other president.

Trump took shots at not only two of the leading Democratic candidates for president — former Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders — but also the Democratic Party in general.

"The Democratic Party is more radical, more dangerous, more unhinged than any time in American history," Trump said. "A vote for any Democrat in 2020 is a vote for the rise of radical socialism and the destruction of the American Dream."

True to form, Trump also went after another of his favorite targets — the mainstream media — which he claims does not fairly report his accomplishments and is biased against the Republican Party.

Among the preliminary speakers were Trump's son and daughter-in-law, Eric and Lara Trump, who also went on the attack against elements of the mainstream media and "fake news."

"My father is the one person who did not need this job," Eric Trump said, but he ran for the presidency because "he loves this country."

Donald Trump Jr. said his father is delivering on his promises, including improving the economy, increasing the nation's workforce and "crushing the bastards of ISIS."

He also went after Biden, saying "Sleepy Joe is flip-flopping on everything."

Referring to the Democratic contenders, Donald Trump Jr. said: "We're going up against a field of leftists."

"It's on, everybody. Time for Round Two," Pence told the crowd. "President Donald Trump is the real deal. America needs four more years of President Trump. America is back, and we're just getting started."

Pence said four more years of Trump would mean "more jobs, more judges, more support for our troops," and more time to "drain that swamp" in Washington politics.

"We made history in 2016, and we will make history again in 2020," Pence said. "This president will make America greater than ever before."

In brief remarks as she introduced her husband, Melania Trump said she is proud of everything the president has done for the country.

Speeches were punctuated by chants from the crowd of "Four More Years," "U-S-A,"  "Build the Wall," "Drain the Swamp" and "Lock Her Up," the latter a reference to Hillary Clinton, Trump's 2016 Democratic opponent.

The 20,000-seat Amway Center, which is home to the Orlando Magic basketball team, was virtually filled to capacity by time the president took the stage.

During his speech, Trump said the campaign received 120,000 requests for tickets for Tuesday's event. Relatively few people remained in the overflow area, suggesting that many people who requested tickets did not attend.

But afternoon rainstorms on Tuesday may have discouraged some of his supporters from attending.

The dominant decoration in the area was a giant red flag high above the stage area. Digital signs surrounding the arena urged people to "Keep America Great!"

Attendees came from around the world, and they came early: Monday, eight Trump supporters began camping out. The earliest arrived at 2:30 a.m. 

Wolf Lutton from Colorado arrived at 6 p.m. Monday and camped out overnight. He made friends with the people in line, and they saved each others' spots, and shared food, water and political conversation.

"At first, we were a bit cautious, you know, looking each other up and down," Lutton said. "Then as we got to know each other, it was more like: 'So how much do you hate Hillary?' "

Many attendees came from within Florida. Others came from out of state, and some came in from a different country. Francisco Jose Muñoz said he flew in from Chile to attend the rally. For the signature on his passport, he simply wrote "MAGA." He came because he believes the Democratic Party is corrupt and that Trump will restore the world economy.

The rally attracted a wide variety of supporters. Some wore shirts reading, "Women for Trump," "Blacks for Trump" or "Hispanics for Trump." When asked why they supported Trump, though, their responses had similar themes. They admire Trump's economic policy, his immigration policy, and his blunt, often-brash manner of speaking.

Several people said they admire that Trump fires back at his opponents. They say Trump speaks for "people like them."

Lutton, who works construction, said one of the reasons he likes Trump is that Trump reminds him of the people he works with on his job site.

“A general contractor, you don’t care if he’s brusque," Lutton said. "You care that he gets the job done.”

The day started out with temperatures in the high 80s. Attendees brought tents and umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun. As more supporters arrived, lines for the stands selling water and soda grew long.

A thunderstorm hit at about 1:30 p.m., drenching some attendees who came without umbrellas or jackets. People crowded together under tents and chanted, "We love Trump!"

Trump diehards did not seem deterred when a video display outside the arena at one point read: "Inclement weather announcement. For your safety, we strongly recommend that you seek shelter."

Just like Trump was working the crowd Tuesday to rally his supporters, Cora Mandy of the America First Action Superpac was spending the day outside the rally site, working on registering voters. The organization plans to spend $20 million on voter registration efforts in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

On streets surrounding the arena, vendors set up stands selling Trump merchandise: now-iconic red Make America Great Again hats, shirts with all forms of slogans, umbrella, bobbleheads and lots more.

After Trump finished speaking at about 9:30 p.m., attendees streamed out onto the streets. Some vendors who remained were hawking shirts at reduced prices.

John Hagan, an Orlando resident, said he thought Trump hit all the right points, though the speech was a bit long for his liking. He said Trump will win because Trump has the support of residents in Midwestern states where industrial jobs have declined.

“He hit a chord,” Hagan said. “A main goal (those states) have always had is saving coal and maintaining those industrial jobs. That’s what they’ve been wanting.”

The rally was “fantastic,” said Gus Leal of Fort Lauderdale. He has attended seven other rallies, said this one ranks among the best he’s seen. He said the energy at the rally was high despite the rain, and he believes Trump will win because he’s accomplished so many of his campaign promises.

“People saw it,” Leal said. “He says what he means and he means what he says, and he keeps his promises.”

Dave Berman is government editor at FLORIDA TODAY.

Contact Berman at 321-242-3649

or dberman@floridatoday.com.

Twitter: @bydaveberman

Facebook:  /dave.berman.54

Contact Gallion at 321-259-1590 or bgallion@floridatoday.com.

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