On Tuesday night, President Donald J. Trump took Orlando by storm (crowd video below). Trump supporters packed the Amway Center after waiting for hours, thousands got caught in a thunderous downpour of rain prior to entering. Also braving the elements, Democrats and anti-Trump protestors took to both sides of Amway by gathering at Stonewall Bar and Lake Eola, but in much smaller numbers. It was a microcosm of the current state of American politics – both sides riled up but neither side speaking to each other.
While Trump took Orlando for the night, it is not likely he will take Orlando on election night. Of course, the President knows he doesn’t need to win Orlando/Orange County. He had supporters from all over Florida at the event and 2020 is shaping up to be a game of margins. Trump won the state of Florida by 1.2% in 2016. The fact President Trump officially announced his 2020 re-election campaign in blue Orlando signals he is gearing up for the fight ahead.
But is there real enthusiasm for Trump in Florida? Here’s a clip from inside the Amway Center when President Trump polled his supporters about the campaign slogan: Make America Great Again, or change it to Keep America Great?
The turnstile count from the City of Orlando reported the attendance in Amway was 19,792.
Here’s a look at the crowd during President Trump’s introduction:
And here’s how the crowd reacted at the end of Trump’s speech:
Stay tuned for more in-depth analysis and commentary from my experience in the Amway Center and my time immersed with the Orlando Trump crowd.
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