Lamp’s editor reflects on experience of attending rally

By Madison Mings

Editor

SPRINGFIELD- Donald J. Trump visited Springfield on Nov. 9 for a presidential political rally. Tickets were free to the event at Prairie Capital Convention Center.

Many people thought Trump coming to Springfield was a big hoax but come to find it he was really coming.

I got the chance to go attend, and while walking up to PCCC, I saw a few protestors with signs calling for people to stand up to racism and shouting that you shouldn’t go inside. Also, Trump has his new book being sold right in front of his bus. People were selling Trump buttons, hats, and shirts for $20.

Donald Trump speaks Nov. 9 in the Prairie Capital Convention Center in Springfield. Trump is seeking the Republican nomination for president of the United States. (Madison Mings/Lamp Editor)

I met up with Assistant Editor Teresa Brummett, and we had to try and find seats. I got there at 6 p.m., and the center was packed from the floor up to the rafters. We wanted to get good seats but we knew it wouldn’t be possible. People were waiting in line since 1 p.m.

The convention center can only hold up to 10,000 people and 11,000 tickets were given out. More than 10,000 people were sitting in the chairs provided, standing in front of where he would be speaking, or standing all the way by the door, it was that packed.

While waiting for Trump, us sitting all the way in the balcony, I’m guessing it was his rally playlist. It varied from Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep,” some type of loud opera and some classic rock ‘n’ roll songs. But the most talked about song is “We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister, the song played while he was walking on stage. Trump was waving to the roaring crowd and did a little dance move before walking to the podium to begin his speech.

People had Trump signs, hats, his new book “Crippled America: How To Make America Great Again” and T-shirts. A lady that was by us in the balcony had a shirt that looked like Hillary for President. I thought maybe its laundry day, but then I realized “Hillary for Prison” makes more sense for her clapping when Trump was giving hate to Clinton.

Trump started his speech at 7 p.m., right when it was scheduled to begin.

While talking there was a small group standing on the floor yelling, Trump waved at the excited group, but they were yelling rude things to him and got thrown out. Trump stated, “Get outta here!” The crowd cheered for how he handled it. He also said, “I thought they were yelling Trump and were for me.”

Trump had a lot to say including sharing to us that Starbucks is having red cups now for the holiday season and not being able to say merry Christmas. Trump said “When I’m president everyone will be saying merry Christmas again. And maybe we should just boycott Starbucks.”

I thought, “No,  I agree with what he says, but NO, Starbucks stays.”

He was even bashing Democrat Hillary Clinton, saying she wasn’t a really good secretary of state and that she wouldn’t be a good president.

Trump also talked about China, with why things are made in China. And said “We should be able to build an airplane in South Dakota and not China.”

He also shared his idea of the Trump wall where there will be boarder up from Mexico and the United states, so no illegal immigrant can come over. So we can make America great again.

Trump bashed:

• Obama.
• Trump said he is almost as disappointed in the lameness and do-nothings of the Republican Candidates as he is of the Democrats.
• Ben Carson.
• U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.
• The media, saying that if he stabbed a Republican in the leg, the media would say he didn’t do that. Also that he is No. 1 in the polls somewhere then No. 3 somewhere else.
• Congress, saying when people go to Washington, they’re good people. Then, Washington “does something to them.” They see the high ceilings and polished stone and decide they want to stay forever. After that, all they care about is being re-elected.
• ISIS. Trump talked about why didn’t we save the hostages.
• Iran
• Marco Rubio
• U.S. infrastructure, which he said was appalling.
• “Anchor babies”
• Super PACs
• Ford, for moving a plant to Mexico.
• Nabisco, for moving a plant to Mexico. Trump told us that they had Oreo’s on his plane on his way out and suggested we never eat Oreo’s again.
• Common Core curriculum. Trump thinks education should be local.
• Politicians. All talk, stupid negotiators, according to Trump.
• Jed Bush

Some of the things Trump said was actually funny. Just how he was imitating everyone and everything. From how Jed Bush was in a debate sweating and with a water bottle, and it wasn’t a glass of water. And he told us about his time on the television show “Saturday Night Live.”

The crowd got excited when he covered issues they wanted to hear about immigration, making America great again, America’s pathetic weakness in international relations, and America’s pathetic approach to corporate offshore drilling.

Trump did ask a big question though and it was, “Who do you want negotiating for you?”

Those standing on the floor pointed at Trump, of course, and the rest of the center cheered for him and swinging there Trump signs. He started to walk down the stage to greet and sign things that people had. Twisted Sister was playing again “We’re Not Gonna Take It”.

He ended his speech at 8 p.m. after one hour and it wasn’t bad at all. It was great and very entertaining. During the speech I kept telling myself that I can’t believe I’m here sitting in the balcony behind Trump. It was crazy. I would joke about him, never would I think I’d see him in person.

Once we headed down where he was to try to get a picture, we missed him because we weren’t too close. So we headed out after taking some pictures of his rally posters, and noticed a loud commotion going on, there was young adult protesters with a sign that said “Burn the Trump” and they were shouting “No Trump” or “Stop Trump” on the side of his bus.

Then you have the non-protesters getting a little mad, so they started to chant Trump along with the protester’s disagreement.

I walked over to the protestor’s side, and there was a girl that seemed to be in charge got happy and asked “Are you going to join us!” I quickly declined and said I just needed to interview them.

I asked one protester: “Why not vote for Trump?”

She said, “I’m not really with these girls, but because how he treats everyone. He’s a racist, sexist, doesn’t care about women, and how he says some of the things he says they’re not right. He just doesn’t seem like he will treat people right.”

Then I asked a few people, “Are you voting for Trump?”

One said, “Yes.”

Then I asked ,“Why?” And he said “Because of U.S.A.” He’s saying that we need Trump because we don’t need anything made in China, our products need to me made in the U.S.

The person then asked me if I was going to vote Trump, I told him, “I don’t know, we still have a while to go.”

I asked another person “Why are you going to vote Trump?”

Be said, “Because he’s Republican.”  

I asked a non-protester, “Why should I vote for Trump?”

He said, “Because he will help out with funding money for schools, and help America. Say what would happen if you leave college and 5 or 10 years come by and someone is in your place, and they have to pay more than you. How does it make you feel?”

I responded with I don’t know. Then he told me it’s something to think about. It got pretty deep with their responses.

But the rally was a lot of fun and entertaining. I enjoyed myself and will now have to think who I want the next president to be.

Madison Mings is the editor of The Lamp. She can be reached at [email protected]