Read the full Story on Downtown Devil – Originally published Sept 1. 2016
ON THE INSIDE– Armed with an iPhone and a basic microphone, I entered Tuesday’s rally. Outside of the main room, hundreds of people stood waiting to buy official campaign gear while others hurried to get to the stage.
Through several random on-the-spot interviews, I profiled a diverse group of the event’s attendees.
All supported Trump, but their reasons were as far ranging as their personal backgrounds.
The topic of illegal immigration resonates with Rigoberto Meza Lara and Emma Alaestante.
Both also cited their personal connection to immigrating legally.
Meza Lara’s family is Latin American and immigrated legally. Alaestante is a Filipino immigrant who waited for 13 years to enter the United States legally.
Both said they came to the rally to support Trump during his immigration speech.
The speech itself was a detour from Trump’s usual rally speech format.
Donald Trump laid out a detailed plan to address illegal immigration while the crowd responded with cheers. Individuals in the crowd regularly shouted charged exclamations directed at the groups that Donald Trump talked about in his speech.
The diversity of attendees was not just in ethnicity but also in age.
J.J. Carboun, Sasha Reavis and Nicole Yacullo are college students who support Trump.
All three sported Trump apparel and said that they were anti-illegal immigration, citing the need for more security at the border.
Generations apart, the final person I talked to was Paul Davis.
Davis is 85 years old and has had a long history in politics, serving as the former president of Sons of the Revolution, a fraternal group that educates people about the American Revolution.
Davis has witnessed 15 different presidents hold office in his life and said he has been waiting for a candidate like Donald Trump for years.
Craig Johnson 