Red, white and blue lights striped the audience on the main floor of the Salem Civic Center
By Meg Hibbert
Contributing Writer
The Salem Civic Center was a sea of Republican red and blue-jean blue on Nov. 2 as former President Donald J. Trump promised to fix the nation’s problems.
A near-capacity crowd of 9,000 inside and several thousand more outside watching on a giant screen cheered the Presidential candidate as he repeatedly blamed Democrats – Candidate Kamala Harris specifically – for crimes by undocumented aliens, inflation and wars.
People started lining up at before 6 a.m. even though parking lots weren’t opening until 8 and the civic center wasn’t allowing them inside until 11. A few were seen camping on sidewalks the night before.
Salem resident Keri Clinevell estimated when she got there at 6 there were only about 100 people waiting to get in. “It was a mad house but I got six rows from the podium. A very long day but awesome.”
Secret Service and local police inside checked identifications as people went through metal detectors and emptied pockets. No purses were allowed. Hundreds of people in line were turned away when the doors were closed.
Cars in the parking lot had tags from all over Virginia, West Virginia, Texas and beyond. One journalist waiting for credentials check said he came from Germany to cover the Trump event.
Sheila Eaton came from Dublin, Va., with 31-year-old nephew Brandon Taylor of Radford. “I came because I had never been to a rally before,” Taylor said, adding that they had waited four hours to get in.
“I love Trump, and I love America,” his aunt said. “You won’t meet better people than at a Trump rally, the kindest people I’ve ever met,” she said, pointing out people helping others who were in wheelchairs, using canes and walkers in the handicapped line
Eaton said she had attended Vice Presidential Candidate J.D. Vance’s rally at Radford.
Tom Edwards and his wife Rebecca came from Winchester with brother-in-law John Abernathy from Virginia Beach. Tom Edwards said he had attended a Trump rally in Prescot, Arizona. “The rallies are a lot of energy,” Edward added.
Inside the civic center red, white and blue lights colored people sitting and waving on the main floor. They wore red Make America Great Again hats, pink “Women for Trump” caps saying 45-47 for years Trump was and hopes to be president, construction vests over their shirts and proudly waved red or blue signs distributed by Trump volunteers.
The signs said “Trump Will Fix It,” and “Dream Big Again.”
Trump was preceded by a number of prominent Republicans, including Senatorial candidate Huong Cao, Virginia Governor Glen Younkin, Congressman Ben Cline, and Congressman Morgan Griffith.
An unexpected turn came when seven members of the Roanoke College swim team, wearing pink t-shirts that said “Keep Hot Dogs out of Women’s Sports.
In 2023 team members opposed a transgender student who swam on the men’s team and wanted to swim on the women’s team. Trump is openly opposed to transgender issues.
Afterwards, College President Frank Shushok Jr. said he had no advance knowledge the team members were going to speak, and they were exercising their individual rights, not representing the college.
Two mothers of girls slain by illegal immigrants also spoke.
Trump joked and spoke for one hour and 85 minutes after arriving 90-minutes late from campaigning in North Carolina. Although the crowd got bored, did the wave, swayed with lighted cell phones and began chanting “We want Trump,” they apparently forgave him once Trump started speaking.
“If I win you’re three days away from the best jobs,” he promised. He also pledged to :
- Strengthen and modernize the military;
- Get the critical race theory and transgender surgery out of schools;
- Defend the right to keep and bear arms.
In closing Trump said, “We will be a free and proud nation once more. We’re going to have our American dream once more. We will be great again. God bless you all.”
He left the civic center to strains of the song “YMCA.”
People posed for pictures outside with a cutout of Trump, and signs saying “Trump Garbage Deplorables,” sponsored by Trump Town USA in Boones Mill.
