The entire Pensacola Bay Center was packed to the brim upon Trump’s arrival. Thousands of people had to be denied entry to the event because there were not enough seats available to accommodate everyone who wanted to see Trump speak. (Photo by Romi White | South Santa Rosa News)
Pensacola Bay Center was packed to the rafters for Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump’s Wednesday night rally.
One particular theme united many of those who turned out to support Trump.
“He’s not the establishment,” Ft. Walton Beach resident Dane Brege said. “I’d like to shut down half of Washington DC myself. That city keeps growing while the rest of America shrinks. It’s time to do something about it.”
“Trump is swinging the wrecking ball and I’m loving it,” Shalimar resident Jerry Buckman added. “Our system’s broke and corrupt irretrievably and it needs to be destroyed and rebuilt.”
Fort Walton Beach resident Joe Vistitsky immigrated to the U.S. in 1974 from Ukraine. He says he’s concerned Democratic policy is leading the country towards the same problems the Soviet Union experienced in the past.
“I’ve seen it destroy lives,” he noted.
Vistitsky cites Obamacare as an example.
“Now we have people who have $6,700 deductibles and they cannot get medical care,” he remarked.
Vistitsky says he’s also disappointed in regular Republicans for getting nothing done. He’s backing Trump.
“He is not taking cues from Republican leadership and he is not afraid to speak his mind,” Vistitsky said.
“I feel Trump seems to represent what so many people collectively feel and feel helpless to do something about.”
“I’m sick and tired of lawyers running the country into the ground and sending our jobs overseas,” Navarre resident Tim Karsten remarked. “We need a businessman who knows how to put America to work because lawyers running government is like letting the fox keep the henhouse.”
A former Democratic candidate for the U.S. House District 1 seat was also on hand to support Trump.
Joe Roberts, who ran in 2006, says this is the most important election in U.S. history.
The entire Pensacola Bay Center was packed to the brim upon Trump’s arrival. Thousands of people had to be denied entry to the event because there were not enough seats available to accommodate everyone who wanted to see Trump speak. (Photo by Romi White | SSRN)
“Our nation is on a direction that’s going to lead to its destruction,” Roberts remarked. “As I look out at all these candidates on both sides and I sort out their backgrounds and what they bring to the table; I don’t think any of them are going to be able to change things. We’ve got to have a change or we’re done.”
More than a few young voters turned out for Trump.
“He’s not scared to go through it and do it, and he’s a businessman,” Doug Dalton, 18 remarked.
“I like his political views and what he wants to do for the country,” Matt Doyle, also 19 added. “I like that he’s a businessman that wants to get it back on track.”
In a characteristic unscripted oratory that rambled through now-familiar themes, Trump criticized career politicians, bought and paid for by lobbyists who eventually want laws passed in their favor.
“With me it’s real simple,” he remarked. “I don’t care. I’m going to do what’s right for you. Because I know these people and they’re smart and they’re tough, but they’re not tough like us.”
Trump pledged to lower taxes, tax or tariff American companies that offshore jobs, build a border wall to keep out illegal migrants and make Mexico pay for it, improve healthcare, cut trade deals that benefit Americans, help veterans, improve education, get rid of Common Core and free American hostages being held by Iran and put an end to badly crafted foreign policy deals with America’s enemies.
“We’re gonna win so much,” Trump remarked, closing out the show. “We’re gonna win at everything we do and other countries are gonna respect us because we’re winners, not losers.
“The American Dream is dead, but we’re going to make it bigger and better and stronger than before.”
The entire Pensacola Bay Center was packed to the brim upon Trump’s arrival. Thousands of people had to be denied entry to the event because there were not enough seats available to accommodate everyone who wanted to see Trump speak. (Photo by Romi White | SSRN)
