Supporters of Donald Trump were being ushered into the Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama, for the real estate mogul’s pep rally early Friday night, a massive event that organizers say could draw up to 40,000 people.
Previously planned for the nearby Civic Center — which can hold up to 4,000 people — the event was moved to the 43,000-seat Ladd-Peebles Stadium, normally home to high school football games.
Trump flew by the stadium in his private jet shortly before 6 p.m. CT, doing a loop around the arena before landing. The fly-by was announced over the stadium’s loudspeaker to cheers. He was scheduled to speak around 6:45 p.m. CT.
Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson told CNN earlier Friday he planned to pick up Trump from the airport and give him a lift to the stadium in his car. He said the city was ready to handle the audience.
“We are just glad he chose us first,” Stimpson said. “It does bring an excitement to the city that isn’t here yet for us with the other candidates. And it’s kind of an amazing phenomenon. So for them to reach out to us and say ‘we’re coming’ means a great deal.”
Attendees gathered as early as 6 a.m. CT, and some traveled from as far away as Florida and California to attend.
The first 10 people in line were strangers this morning, but after waiting outside in the 90-degree heat, they befriended one another and all chipped in to buy a canopy from Walmart and a few pizzas from Dominos.
Amanda Mancini, who said she is part of a new movement called “Women for Trump,” flew in from Los Angeles. “I wanted to be part of it. I initially thought it was going to be small, and I thought Trump wouldn’t be coming to me in California, so I would have to come to him.”
Brent Fritz and Jacob Murray, 19-year-old students from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, drove in Friday morning to see Trump. They left at 4 a.m. ET and arrived around noon local time.
The first person to get in line was retired Marine Keith Quackenbush.
“This isn’t about Republicans, it isn’t about Democrats, this is a movement of citizens across America tired of the BS,” he said.
Bush looks to counter Trump message
Jeb Bush and his allies once again aggressively looked to deliver a different message to Trump’s voters, reflecting a new muscular stance against the Republican front-runner first unveiled this week in New Hampshire. Bush’s super PAC, Right to Rise, arranged its own flyover at the stadium as a jet carried a banner reading: “Trump 4 higher taxes, Jeb 4 prez.”
Bush’s official campaign said it also emailed supporters in Alabama pointing out Trump’s previous liberal positions on abortion, gun rights and tax issues.
“Trump’s positions are deeply out-of-step with the Alabama way of life,” the email reads, according to the campaign. “Trump’s history of supporting Democratic ideas will not go unnoticed in Alabama and we trust you will make it known.”
Bush and Trump have sparred since the “Apprentice” star launched his campaign in June. Most recently, they have fought over the former Florida governor’s use of the term “anchor baby,” which many see as derogatory toward Latinos.