Hundreds Camp Out in Freezing Temperatures Over 24 Hours Before Trump Rally
Opponents can say what they will about President Donald Trump’s supporters, but nobody can claim they lack dedication.
Tents, sleeping bags, space heaters and no shortage of patriotic gear. That was the running theme Thursday outside the Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where a massive crowd reportedly gathered over the course of hours in anticipation of the evening’s “Keep America Great” rally.
And according to local Fox News affiliate KXRM-TV, the more patient folks in that crowd had no qualms about braving the bitter cold for hours on end in exchange for an opportunity to see the president and other members of the Trump administration speak live in the largely Democratic Centennial State.
The Trump 2020 re-election campaign event might not have been slated to begin until 5 p.m. local time Thursday, but that did not stop hundreds of the president’s supporters from setting up camp outside the Broadmoor parking lot more than 24 hours in advance.
Supporters have been camping overnight in nine degree weather to see President Trump in Colorado Springs tonight!
“To spend this time with my son and something we can share for the rest of our lives is pretty amazing.” pic.twitter.com/Hf4cRYIaXu
— Trump War Room – Text WOKE to 88022 (@TrumpWarRoom) February 20, 2020
Temperatures were already well below freezing at 27 degrees Fahrenheit when the first slew of rallygoers, numbering roughly 50 in total, began lining up Wednesday morning, KXRM anchor Amber Jo Cooper reported live from the scene.
Regardless, further dips in the mercury did little to discourage the growing crowd, as other local outlets reported rising crowd totals despite temperatures in the low teens and high single-digits during the wee hours Thursday morning.
“They consider themselves to be the most loyal Trump supporters. They were out all night,” Cooper told The Western Journal. “They told me they didn’t care if it was going to snow.”
“They were so dedicated to being the first in line for this event,” she added. “They were excited. You wouldn’t have even known that it was 20 degrees last night, because their excitement kind of just warmed them up. They had great energy. They were just excited to be there.”
The experience would be well worth the discomfort, one father-son duo told KOAA-TV reporter Jessica Barreto from within a seemingly insulated all-weather camping pod.
“It feels great actually,” the father said. “I feel a little bad for the people around us, but we came prepared. Baseball parents, so we know what it’s like to stick [it] out in the cold.”
“Being able to see our president, it definitely doesn’t happen often,” he added, “so to spend this time with my son and something we can share for the rest of our lives is pretty amazing.”
Temperatures are dropping into the teens tonight but enthusiastic Trump supporters are camping out to secure their spot for tomorrow’s rally in Colorado Springs. @realDonaldTrump #DonaldTrump #TrumpRally #ColoradoSprings https://t.co/kXM6x2DF2x
— Amber Jo Cooper (@AmberJoCooper) February 20, 2020
As with most presidential campaign events, seating at Trump’s Colorado Springs “Keep America Great” rally was first-come, first-served for virtual ticket-holders.
Known for selling out sizable venues on the campaign trail, however, the president and Republican Sen. Cory Gardner were expected by local party officials to fill Broadmoor World Arena to its 8,000-occupant capacity Thursday, potentially forcing hundreds more late arrivals to view the rally from a jumbotron outside.
It’s 27 degrees and windy in #ColoradoSprings but 50+ people are already in line to see @realDonaldTrump – and the line keeps growing! President Trump will be having a rally at the World Arena at 5 p.m. tomorrow. #PresidentTrump #Colorado @FOX21News pic.twitter.com/KG7kRUuO0Q
— Amber Jo Cooper (@AmberJoCooper) February 19, 2020
Trump Rally Colorado Springs #maga #kag pic.twitter.com/8VMolNUMC5
— Rob-Lo ?? (@RobOnTV) February 20, 2020
Such was the case Wednesday night in Phoenix, where Heavy reported outdoor overflow in the low thousands during Trump’s rally at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum — which holds roughly 14,000 people.
“From our rural communities to our inner cities, we’re expanding the blessings of America to all of our citizens,” Trump said, touting his administration’s economic successes and blasting the Democratic establishment in Washington as the 2020 Democratic presidential primary candidates took to the debate stage some 300 miles away in Las Vegas.
“Washington Democrats keep on losing their minds,” the president said. “They hate the fact that we’re winning. We’re winning big.”
“Nothing like that has ever happened before,” Trump added. “After years of building up other countries, we are finally rebuilding our country. That’s the way we want it. We are finally putting our country first. We are putting America first.”
Just as those in Colorado Springs braved the freezing temperatures Thursday to hear Trump’s vision for America, so had their peers in Phoenix, albeit under much different weather conditions.
According to AZ Central, at least 13 rallygoers received on-site medical attention Wednesday due to heat exhaustion. Four others were brought to the hospital with similar health scares.
Check out that bright red wave here at the #KeepAmericaGreat2020 rally! pic.twitter.com/04sQUgcFWg
— Morgan Brantley (@morgbrant) February 20, 2020
And it is that dedication from the Trump base that has led longtime Democrats such as organizational psychologist and Medium contributor Karlyn Borysenko to predict a strong red wave in November.
Attending a “Keep America Great” rally on a whim in Manchester, New Hampshire, prior to the state primary, Broysenko was shocked by the community she witnessed. So much so, in fact, that she penned a viral cautionary Op-Ed with the outlet on “how out-of-touch [the Democratic Party] is with the country at large.”
“It was so different than any other political event I had ever attended. Even the energy around Barack Obama in 2008 didn’t feel like this,” Borysenko wrote.
“I had attended an event with all the Democratic contenders just two days prior in exactly the same arena, and the contrast was stark,” the psychologist continued. “With Trump, every single person was unified around a singular goal. … With Trump, there was a genuinely optimistic view of the future. With the Democrats, it was doom and gloom. With Trump, there was a genuine feeling of pride of being an American.”
“I think the Democrats have an ass-kicking coming to them in November,” she concluded. “And I think most of them will be utterly shocked when it happens, because they’re existing in an echo chamber that is not reflective of the broader reality.”
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