“I feel safe and secure in The Villages,” President Donald Trump declared during his May 1 speech in The Villages.
He referenced “the attempt” — a nod to the apparent assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25 — and joked that he should be indoors in a safe, secure facility laying waste to another country overseas.
The president walked to the podium to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.” at around 4:10 p.m. He blamed “Sleepy Joe” Biden for inflation, calling it “the worst in the history of our country,” and complained about “25 billion illegal immigrants,” before demanding that his microphone be turned up.
He credited himself with gains made during Biden’s term, chiding the former president for riding his “momentum,” and called for “no transgender surgery.”
Supporters camped overnight to hear the president in person. At the event entrance, a teenager and an older adult passed out from heat exhaustion after waiting under the midday sun to enter The Villages High School gymnasium.
“Don’t give up, keep the faith,” one Villages resident told the Daily Commercial outside the rally.
Inside, a sea of red caps worn by President Trump supporters dressed in red, white and blue chanted “U-S-A” while eagerly waiting to hear Trump speak.
Trump gave words of inspiration about cutting taxes, securing the border and delivering spicy disses aimed at Democrats such as former President Joe Biden, former Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris, and Rep. Nancy Pelosi.
Those sentiments were echoed by Sen. Ashley Moody and Rep. Byron Donalds, a leading candidate for Florida’s next governor, during their crowd-warming speeches.
The Sopranos and Altos of The Villages, a female youth choir, sang a melodic rendition of “America the Beautiful,” and Derrick West, lead pastor of Encounter Church in Wildwood, delivered a passionate, evangelistic message urging Americans to return to the “land of Judea” and become the Christians they were born to be.
“We’re in a war, and I hope you will agree because we can’t allow a lunatic to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said, adding that there are more jobs than ever in the history of the nation.
DJ James Floyd, who has helped make Leesburg radio station WQBQ 1410 — known as “The Q” — a local favorite through its support of local businesses, schools and organizations, attended the rally with former Daily Commercial correspondent Cindy Peterson, now a reporter for the station. Floyd arrived at 10:30 a.m. and said he was excited to attend his first presidential rally.
Villager Janet Lawrence waited six hours to enter the event. Asked what she loves about the president, she said “everything,” adding that she hoped people would leave the rally encouraged to keep pushing forward and not give up.
Rep. Randy Fine also attended, praising Trump for cutting taxes on Social Security and noting he continues to pursue a study on converting the Ocala National Forest into a national park.
The speech lasted about an hour and a half, with the president delivering a manifesto on making America powerful, healthy and strong again. He exited to loud cheers as “YMCA” by the Village People played. Villagers smiled and performed the dance moves as they filed out of the gym.
This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: Supporters endure heat and hours‑long wait to see Trump in The Villages
Reporting by Julie Garisto, Leesburg Daily Commercial / Daily Commercial
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
