Donald Trump made a campaign appearance in Burlington Vermont Thursday night. It’s rare for a presidential candidate to come to Vermont and even more rare for a GOP front-runner to stop by the Green Mountain State. Yet the leading contender for the Republican nomination, known for his abrasive style, drew hundreds of supporters and opponents to downtown Burlington.
The Trump campaign had distributed 20,000 tickets for a 1,400 seat venue. That concerned Burlington officials on two fronts. Officials prepared for disappointed ticketholders and for planned protests. Burlington Police Chief Brandon del Pozo said there was no way to determine how many people would show up. “We want to make sure that if folks can’t get in and they’re a little antagonized by that, that they’re not also falling victim to maybe political opponents trying to throw speech at them that escalates the situation. We want folks to express their ideals, to express their expectations, their feelings about Trump, Sanders, all the candidates. But they have to do it in a way that doesn’t escalate and it’s not disrespectful and that doesn’t evolve into illegal activity.”
The people who came to see Trump ranged from teenagers to retirees. Brooklynn Dewey was in line early and said it would be her 13th birthday present. “I like that he says what everybody else is thinking and that he intends to act on what he says.”
Dewey was not the only youth of pre-voting age who had convinced their parents to come out to see Donald Trump. Fifteen-year old Brady Stark traveled from Queensbury, NY. “I think Mr. Trump is a leader and I think that he is going to be able to be able to lead our country efficiently if he gets elected into office. And I agree with a lot of his positions on various issues. I feel like he is very blunt and honest with what he says and I realize it may offend some different people but, you know what, he’s not really trying to hurt them in any way. He’s just speaking his mind.”
Brady’s father George Stark finds it refreshing to see a non-politician leading the Republican field. “Maybe he’ll make a difference ‘cause it seems like there’s been a lot of gridlock in Washington on both sides, not getting a lot done or very divisive in Washington and maybe he can bring a leadership and style that is refreshing. I’m here to listen to him and hopefully it’s all good.”
The line grew over the course of the day and it became obvious that most would not make it inside the theatre. Supporters were separated by barricades and police from opponents who began to gather in the late afternoon across the street in City Hall Park.
Ian MacLeod from Winooski, VT, held a sign saying “Dump Trump Please. A Vote For Trump Equals a Vote for Hate.” He says he’s insulted by Trump’s visit to Vermont. “I don’t feel comfortable with that guy in this state. He’s been very clear about for example Latinos. He doesn’t like Latinos. I have a sister-in-law who is from Guatemala. I’m gay. If he becomes president he’s probably going to reverse all that happened. And the fact that he has filed for bankruptcy more than once and he owns all this stuff and he’s worth a lot of money? That makes no sense. So he’d be the President of the world’s biggest, strongest country, most powerful military. No I don’t think so. And that’s why I’m not voting for Donald Trump.”
Finn Yarbrough of Ferrisburgh planned to join a number of people in a silent vigil to protest Donald Trump’s rhetoric. “The strategy behind his appearance here appears to me to be calculated to generate strife rather than to actually build his support. Now I’m not suggesting he doesn’t have supporters in Vermont. I know he does. But it’s something specific about the way that Trump is drumming up his narrative that worries me that it could create a great amount of division in our communities that have up until this point worked together
While some planned a silent vigil, as Trump supporters entered the Flynn Theatre, hundreds of opponents held candles, chanted, shouted and made their displeasure known.
Drums can be heard as people chant “Don’t give in to racist fear, Muslims are welcome here” and “We know what’s under the wig: a racist and a sexist pig.”
Meanwhile inside the Flynn Theatre Donald Trump took to the stage and roused his supporters by praising Vermont. “What a beautiful group of people. We’re in Vermont that air is so nice and clean.”
Trump rambled through his more than hour-long talk discussing Iran policy, Obamacare, military strength and guns. It was over a half-hour before he acknowledged he was in Bernie Sanders’ hometown — the Vermont U.S. senator and presidential candidate started his career in the building across the street. “We all like Bernie. Do we like Bernie? Well if you want to pay a 90 percent tax, I mean he wants to tax you at 90 percent. Okay so you don’t like him. I wasn’t sure. I had to feel that out.”
The speech was not without interruption either. Six of them, to be precise. “Get ‘em out of here. Don’t give him his coat. You know it’s about 10 degrees below zero outside. Get ‘em out of here. Get ‘em out. Come on security move faster. Get ‘em out of here please. Honestly they’re very rude. But it makes for more fun, isn’t it more fun this way?”
At the conclusion of his speech, Trump signed autographs for about 15 minutes before departing.
