The American Freedom Tour with Trump is under way in Broward. Here’s what’s happening now.
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Donald Trump and the American Freedom Tour comes to Broward County
Former President Donald Trump returned to Broward County on Saturday, March 19, speaking during a full-day, high-ticket event billed for conservative insiders and ardent supporters of his agenda.
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Thousands of supporters were pumped to see Trump. Here’s what they had to say
Excerpts from Trump’s speech Saturday at the American Freedom Tour in Broward County
The American Freedom Tour with Trump is under way in Broward. Here’s what’s happening now.
See photos of Trump supporters arriving at the American Freedom Tour event in Broward
Donald Trump and the American Freedom Tour are headed to Broward County on Saturday
Former President Donald Trump headlines The American Freedom Tour, a full-day, ticketed event promoted to conservative insiders and Trump supporters on Saturday.
The event at the FLA Live Arena in Sunrise also has Donald Trump Jr., Candace Owens, Dan Bongino, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Kimberly Guilfoyle and Arizona Sheriff Mark Lamb in the lineup.
Here’s what is happening so far — and check back for live updates through the day.
Available seating was packed
The FLA Live Arena was teeming with guests eager to hear from former President Donald Trump.
The American Freedom Tour stage was set-up concert style, with a third of the arena and the highest seating levels being blocked off.
That said, available seating was packed and nearly full, with sparse open seating left.
Some attendees circled the stadium trying to find an open space.
Much like a sporting event, in between speakers tour workers would tempt the crowd with free merchandise getting them to chant “America First” and other campaign slogans before throwing hats to dozens of raised hands.
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Trump Jr. signs his dad’s book
4 p.m.: Some attendees had the opportunity to have Donald Trump’s first book after leaving the presidency — “Our Journey Together” — signed.
Son Donald Trump Jr. did the honors.
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From Brazil to Florida
3 p.m.: Larissa Martins, a Brazilian, had her country’s flag waving behind her as she held a “Trump-Pence 2020 Flag.”
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From Michigan to Palm Beach County
2:55 p.m.: Sylvia Dudley, a 72-year-old Floridian who just moved from Michigan to the West Palm Beach area, is excited to see Trump for the first time after supporting him since the beginning of his presidential run.
“We drive by his house ... and we get excited and say, ‘Yay Trump! Keep at it!’,” she said. “We needed him because he is a person who you punch him and he keeps getting back up.”
Dudley also felt it a duty to come and support.
“We want to show the country we are for these conservative values, which the Republicans have,” she said. “Trump especially led the way in bringing our country back, and we want to support him and let him know that we want him back.”
A plane flew overhead with a banner reading, “Teach kids about Trump.”
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Seeing a president for the first time
2:50 p.m.: Genie Samuel, a 66-year-old who has lived in Florida since the 1990s, has admired Trump well before his campaign run. She was ecstatic to see her first president.
“I’ve never got a chance to see a living president and to see him I’m very lucky,” she said.
She grew up with Trump and saw him as a self-made man. She says she respects that he knew nothing of politics other than giving him money.
“I have a lot of respect for the president we have, and be able to support him for all the good he has done,” Samuel said. “Sometimes I wish people would have a little less hate in their hearts.”
She isn’t as sure that Trump will run in 2024 as others are, but says she is looking for someone who cares.
“It would be nice just to have someone to come in and care about our people,” Samuel said. “No violence. Changes need to be made, but I still don’t think violence is the answer. What do I hope for? Peace on Earth.”
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The youth vote?
2:45 p.m.: Anna Italino, a 21-year-old from Deerfield Beach accompanied by her three young friends who were clad in an assortment of “Let’s Go Brandon” merch, was pumped up to see Trump for the first time.
“He’s honest and for real,” she said. “We are very excited, and we want to hear everything.”
Italino has also stood by Trump since 2016, even with little sentiment from others in her generation, she said.
“It’s frustrating really because people are very close-minded and don’t want Trump just because he is honest,” Italino said.
She is looking forward to a 2024 election run with Candace Owens on the ticket as his vice president.
“We want to see Trump back in office because Joe Biden is doing nothing,” Italino said.
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2:30 p.m.: Political commentator Candace Owens tells the audience COVID “was a government virus,” and that “fear [from the virus] is the mechanism that is used to control the masses,” American Freedom Tour tweeted. “It’s never going to stop until we demand that it does.”
A message from the 45th president
1 p.m.: The 45th president issued a brief statement through the Save America PAC Saturday afternoon.
“Looking forward to seeing the big crowd tonight at the FLA Live Arena for the American Freedom Tour at 5:00pm ET! So much to talk about!” Trump said.
Yes, there is a donate button in the Save America email.
Dan Bongino
12:15 p.m. Patrick Wells, a candidate for the Brevard County School Board, posted a clip on Twitter from Dan Bongino’s address to the FLA Live Arena audience Saturday afternoon. Bongino is a conservative radio host and former Secret Service agent and 1990s New York City police officer.
“There’s a reason jail sucks,” Bognino said “You’re subjugated to someone else’s will. You can’t do what you want.”
Mark Burns
10 a.m.: “Trump won!” cried out Mark Burns, the evangelical televangelist minister from South Carolina who was an early supporter of Trump. Chanting the charge five times, as some members of the audience responded in kind, Burns also said: “We need to replace God at the center of American politics. The separation between church and state was not designed to keep the church out of the government, it was designed to keep at government out of the church.”
Sarah Huckabee Sanders
9:30 a.m.: Former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who served under Trump from 2017 to 2019, warmed up the early morning audience with her speech.
“The United States is the greatest country the world has ever known,” she said, as she shared an emotional story about a young soldier who, during her time as press secretary, had told her, “Sarah, you have a tough job. I said, ‘Are you kidding. I take questions. You take bombs.’” The soldier, Sanders said, told her, “Sarah, we are in this together.”
9 a.m.: Arizona Sheriff Mark Lamb opened The American Freedom Tour.
This story was originally published March 19, 2022 at 10:19 AM.
