WATCH: Take a look inside the Save America rally with former President Trump and other candidates.
Trump supporters from all over the country — including two members of the Oglethorpe County Republican Party — rallied around former president Donald J. Trump at the Banks Commerce Speedway last Saturday.
This was the first Trump rally for assistant secretary Dianne Fields and the second for vice chair Ray Channell, who attended a 2020 rally in Macon, Georgia.
About 5,000 people were in attendance, a much smaller crowd than pre-rally estimates and rallies during his 2020 campaign. The former president has not officially announced his 2024 presidential candidacy and came to the stage more than an hour later than scheduled.
Lower turnout and time delays did not dissuade the exuberant, patriotic energy of Oglethorpe County citizens and other Trump supporters, nor the gusty conditions that attorney general candidate John Gordon called “the winds of freedom” in his speech.
Fields said foreign policy is an issue at the forefront of her mind, and added that she believes international affairs were better handled during the Trump administration.
“I’m concerned with what’s going on with Russia and Ukraine,” she said. “I just don’t think the leadership we have dealing with that is as good as it could be.”
While Fields attended this rally as a way to express her support for Trump and his policies, she doesn’t hold divisive or anti-liberal attitudes. She said she votes for the candidates she feels are best suited to meet the needs of the country and acknowledges that holding public office is a tough task.
“It’s easy to sit on the sidelines and judge what they’re doing until you’re actually in their shoes in that office,” she said. “I don’t think we’re ever going to be completely 100% happy with anyone in office.”
Local issues
On a more local level, Channell has experienced frustration this past year regarding gas prices and recent legislation that has affected Oglethorpe County farmers. Going to the rallies, he says, energizes him as he talks to different people and finds common ground.
“I’m a farmer. I’ve got two tractors, two trucks, you know, hundreds of dollars to fill them,” Channell said about rising gas prices. “And we should not be importing from anyone, certainly not Russia, certainly not the Middle East.”
Channell’s comments tie directly into the rally’s conversations about energy efficiency and Biden’s choice to discontinue plans for the Keystone pipeline when he first took office. Republicans argued about the impracticality of electric cars and disposal of their batteries, as well as the economic imbalance of power that comes with relying on other countries for fuel.
Another frustration for Channell stems from Section 1005 of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) that went into effect on Jan. 1. Under the act, socially disadvantaged farmers, including Black/African Americans, Native Americans, Alaskan Natives, Hispanic/Latinos, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders can have up to 120% of their loan balances paid.
Channell expressed that he finds “socially disadvantaged” to be a rather lucrative term, and “insulting” on behalf of the government to assume that qualified individuals “didn’t know they were borrowing money.” He also said it burdens taxpayers.
Patriotic themed event
From start to end of the day, attendees decked out in red, white and blue, with some dressing as iconic patriotic figures, such as the Statue of Liberty and Uncle Sam. Others wore T-shirts with various phrases, including “Let’s Go, Brandon,” “MAGA, “Save America” and other slogans associated with the former president.
Dancing and chanting characterized the eager crowd of all ages and parts of the country united over their conservative values.
For some, it was their first Trump rally. While for others, it was one of many. James Yates referred to himself as “Sombrero Trump,” claiming it was his 70th rally.
The main goal of the rally was to endorse Republican candidate David Perdue running against incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp in the general primary on May 24, along with a list of other conservative politicians running for various positions.
“A vote for David Perdue is a vote to save Georgia, and really it’s a vote for this country,” Trump said. “If you don’t want a socialist, extremist, racist lunatic like Stacey Abrams raising your taxes, indoctrinating your children, defunding your police, (and) sending loose criminals all over the place … vote for (Perdue), please, Republican primaries on May 24.”
Some of those receiving support from Trump included U.S. Senate candidate and former University of Georgia legend Herschel Walker, Burt Jones, a candidate for lieutenant governor, and U.S. representatives Marjorie Taylor Green and Jody Hice.
Topics centered around the war in Ukraine, trans athletes — specifically controversial University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas — COVID-19 vaccine mandates, energy efficiency, critical race theory, inflation and anti-Kemp sentiment relating mainly to voter fraud and election integrity.
“The truth is, I ran twice. I won twice. I did better the second time,” Trump said, dismissing the 2020 election results. “And now, we may just have to do it again.”