Washington, July 4: Former US President Donald Trump organised his second “Save America” campaign-style rally in Sarasota, Florida. The rally, which is cosponsored by the Republican Party of Florida, is an all-day event to support Trump’s Make America Great (MAGA) agenda and celebrate the achievements of his administration. The event, which is being held at the Sarasota Fairgrounds, will also feature a fireworks show, ahead of Independence Day marked on July 4. The crowd in Sarasota is very diverse and includes people of all ages and nationalities, a Sputnik correspondent reports. There are a lot of Latin American supporters, some people even brought dogs. Most are wearing hats and T-shirts saying Trump 2020 and Make America Great Again. Many have brought flags and banners. People started gathering hours before the event. Some have turned up before noon on Saturday. Just a couple of hours before the rally started, heavy rain began but scared no one away. People kept coming and coming. Sarasota resident, Philippe Cruz, said that he came to the meeting because he supports Trump and his immigration policies. “My father is a border patrol agent. He has lost many of his co-workers in the fight against the opioid epidemic on our borders. And I fully just support Trump’s policies on trying to stop those illegal immigrants from coming in and destroying our country with drugs, and illegal weapons,” Cruz explained. He stressed that he fully believes that Trump should run for US presidency in 2024. “If this [US President Joe] Biden administration keeps on going on, I feel like it’s going to keep on destroying this country. I feel like Trump should run again,” Cruz said, adding that “today, I feel very patriotic, very happy.” Joe, who lives just a few blocks away from the event’s grounds, said that he came to the Saturday rally because he supports the idea of Trump running for president in the next elections. “That’s why I came here today. It’s a big event. I’ve been to Trump’s rallies in the past,” Joe said, adding that “It was important to demonstrate that we weren’t fooled at all by that phony election that took place in November. President [Trump] needs our support.” He said that he supports Trump’s immigration, energy, national defense, and economic policies. Another Sarasota resident Daniel Rudoph brought with him a hand-made Trump doll that he was bringing to events during 2020. “I am glad I came here today. People have been taking pictures with Trump and they love it. I made it,” he said. Rudoph shared that he doesn’t trust the outcome of the 2020 vote and believes that Trump has all the chances to win the elections in 2024. “He is a fighter, he has always been a fighter,” he stated, adding that he supports Trump because “He is trying to bring back jobs, and real jobs. He is trying to create more industry.” During his previous “Save America” rally held in Ohio at the end of June, Trump called the results of the Biden administration’s performance a “catastrophe” and criticized the administration for the crime wave in major cities throughout the United States, the migrant crisis at the southern US border and a dismal economic situation marred with high inflation.
(UNI)