So, why a Donald Trump rally? For the experience. A former president and candidate for the Presidency of the United States was about to visit Juneau, Wisconsin. Less than an hour's travel from my home. This might be my last chance to ever experience such an assembly.
Although the event was set to start at 2 pm, the proverbial doors wouldn’t open until 10. I’m no fool, I thought - by 7:30 am, traffic was already congested a mile before the Dodge County Airport; a small regional facility where the rally was taking place. A line of cars was forming, and being re-routed to keep standing vehicles off the highway. After twenty minutes of bumper-to-bumper traffic, the airport appeared through the cornstalks; surrounded by a sea of vehicles. Probably 150 to 200 acres of cars were already parked in the surrounding fields of the airport. It was a little before 8 am, and somehow, I was late.
Trump survived an attempted assassination three months earlier. So, I was hyper-aware of the precautions being taken. From what I observed, most of the security was handled by numerous local sheriff departments. They appeared alert and looked prepared for anything – they were even occupying slopped roofs. I’ve never felt safer.
Although it was not clear exactly where I needed to be, the energy of my surroundings was immediately palpable. So much joy on people’s faces, kindness in their actions, and excitement in their eyes.
I observed a queue forming inside a pre-determined zig-zag of barriers. It was almost full! Thousands of people were waiting for God knows how long, and I was about to be one of them. About two hours later, the line was moving. Within an hour, I was in, but where was I?
The event stage was inside a ~13,500 square foot aircraft hanger located at the highest point of the surrounding area. It was enclosed by semi-truck trailers. Ol' Glory waved high above our heads from a crane; a synonymous Trump rally symbol. Smoke billowed from a barbeque food truck, and live music rang in my ears. The hanger was packed. The available seating inside and out was taken. So, I found a place where I could see the stage; as close as I could get, and waited.
At one point a helicopter started circling. This got the crowd riled up. Trump is known for flying over his events. This was just a U.S. Department of Homeland Security chopper. Similar reactions were triggered by a plane flying over – definitely not Air Force One.
After a brief introduction, a prayer, and the national anthem, more waiting was prescribed. My adrenalin was wearing thin. This was exasperated after I realized that I would likely not be able to take a decent photo of Trump due to the four-inch-think bullet-proof glass between me and the podium. I had a better chance of seeing myself in a reflection than the former president.
I would love to meet Trump’s teleprompter operator. The way Trump jumps and jives through topics and phrases, I can’t imagine it’s written out like this. I bet he had prepared a twenty-minute speech...yet he talked for nearly two hours!
He invited a few people to the stage. It appeared very unscripted and a bit awkward. What I appreciated about Eric Hovde’s brief presence was that Trump stepped aside from the protective glass while Eric spoke. This allowed me to sneak a nice photo.
Trump covered topics such as:
- Afghanistan Withdrawal
- Border Crisis
- Education
- Energy
- Hurricane Helene Response
- Inflation
- Kamala Harris
- Law & Order
- Regulation Cuts
- Tariffs
- Taxes (tips, social security, overtime, laws)
- Veteran Healthcare
- Voting
- World Peace
Probably the largest applause; besides Trump himself entering and exiting the stage, was when he invited sixteen Wisconsin sheriffs to the stage. In the heat of the moment, Trump misspoke stating: “This is a great honor, these are great, great men…”, moments later it came to his attention that a woman was also on stage. He pulled her aside, hugged her, and corrected his previous statement. It was an endearing moment.
Although most of his speech was energetic and held a captive audience. The pace and liveliness grew in the last few minutes. People were on their feet, shouting and clapping. And of course, he ended it with:
“We will make America Powerful again. We will make America Wealthy again. We will make America Healthy again. We will make America Strong again. We will make America Proud again. We will make America Safe again, and we will make America Great again. Thank you, Wisconsin. Thank you. God bless you.”
Trump then danced, waved, pointed, and gave thumbs up for a few minutes whilst Y.M.C.A. blared from the speakers.
After a thirty-minute walk, I finally was able to sit down in my car. It was almost thirty minutes past four! I watched the traffic slowly disperse and ate a tuna sandwich I brought. I had no idea what to expect going into this, but I never imagined it would be an all-day (8+ hour) commitment; especially an all-day commitment to stand! Although I’m glad I was able to experience it, I'd be hard-pressed to ever do something like this again.
