BILOXI, MISS– “Please do not touch or harm protestors,” rang out over the PA system before the event. Already, expectations were high for what one might hear at the Donald J. Trump for President Rally at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum in Biloxi.
“Thank you for making this the largest political rally in Mississippi!” Said the announcer, right before Trump took the stage to Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It.”
Donald Trump, the real estate and entertainment mogul turned leading Republican candidate for president, addressed a crowd of over 15,000 in the coliseum–with hundreds more in the convention center.
While Trump did stick to the topics he has been known for, such as throwing insults at former Florida governor and fellow candidate Jeb Bush and at Democratic candidate Hilary Clinton, he also addressed issues that Mississippians are often very vocal about.
“By the way, common core will be gone, if I’m elected,” says Trump. Common core and education reform are leading topics across the country and in Mississippi. Education is expected to be the main focus of the upcoming state legislative session. However, that’s really all that Trump said on the matter.
“We’re going to build an army so strong, we won’t even need to use it. And by the way, we’re going to take care of our vets. They’re treated poorly,” says Trump.
The rally crowd reacted the strongest when Trump took on immigration, protecting the country, and closing the border.
“They say we can’t build a wall–China did it,” says Trump, “I’m going to build a wall so great, it’ll make their wall look not so good. They have to come in legally.”
Trump says he’ll also work to bring businesses back into and keep them into the United States, saying he’ll be “the best jobs president God has ever put in the office.”
And while the language Trump is known for was kept at a minimum, when referring to the media, Trump went on a rant, singling out a photographer from CNN.
“They won’t show you the crowd, until there’s the one heckler,” says Trump, “Turn your cameras around!” When the CNN photographer didn’t spin his camera around to show the crowd, Trump called him out.
“You! Who do you work for?” Trump asked, “he hasn’t turned his camera, this guy in the middle. His boss won’t let him. Disgusting,” Trump adds, “if I were his boss I’d fire his ass.”
Even still, the crowd bursts into applause, and booing for the present media. Afterwards, folks were overall impressed with Trump’s event.
“I thought he was fantastic,” says a Biloxi man in attendance, “I think people should educate themselves, see what he stands for and vote for him.”
Another man acknowledged Trump’s harsh way of dealing with the media and competition, but says it is a tactic that is making him successful.
“If you can see passed the arrogance, he makes a lot of sense,” he says, “but the arrogance is his way of getting his message out there, of getting your attention.”
Trump cited numerous polls during his event, all of which had him polling in the 40’s or above, with Senator Ted Cruz being the second in the polls for the Republican party.
The primaries are March 8th.
VIDEO TAKEN FROM PERISCOPE:
