GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. —
Earlier this week, former President Trump announced his first public rally since the assassination attempt and his first since announcing his running mate, JD Vance. The rally will be taking place Saturday at Van Andel Arena.
With days to prepare, supporters travelled from all over the state – and country – to see Trump speak. Greenville, MI resident Elizabeth Brown was excited that a rally was taking place so close to home.
“It was actually really cool, because then I knew I could make it down to it, and I made it down to the one in Washington in January, but that was a nine hour drive,” Brown said. "This was only a half hour drive, so lot easier.”
But others travelled from not so close.
Rick Frazier is part of a group called “Front Row Joes” who travel the country going to Trump events. He came Thursday from St Marys, OH, to hold down spaces in the front of the line.
“We travel the country with him, and we try to have a representative at every rally, of course,” Frazier said. “So to be first in line, and that's why we're here so early, it would allow us to get closest to the president if we were gracious enough to get a front-row seat. So that's our plan. That's why we're early.”
Frazier said he lives close to Trump’s new running mate Vance.
“I got to know him very well. He was against us at first, said bad things. I read his book, saw his movie, met him, hung out. He's amazing ,” he said. “You know, you're allowed to criticize people. You know you come about, you learn more about them, and you change your thought and stance on him, and that's what's happened.”
New Yorker Greg Carr said he wouldn’t miss this rally for the world.
“Nothing stops me from going to his rallies,” Carr said. “I've been to over about 30 of them.”
Even though he loves Trump, the community is what gets him coming back.
“Once you get to these rallies, the people you meet,” he said. “I mean, when I started out on Facebook, I probably had 30 friends. I have, like, well over 1000 and most of it's from these Trump rallies.”
Travelling from South Dakota, Charles Hibbs is also a member of the “Front Row Joes”. He’s excited about Trump’s pick of a VP.
“The other younger generation trying to get that young vote out, but more importantly, standing what our founding forefathers stood for,” Hibbs said. “And they were geniuses back in the day, they really were, that's great.”
Trump is scheduled to speak at 5 p.m. tomorrow at Van Andel Arena.