Former president Donald Trump made an appearance at press conference at the Columbia County Performing Arts Center on Friday afternoon, where crowds of supporters and onlookers gathered to catch a glimpse of the figure who has both sparked controversy and gained a cult-like following.
The crowds lined up on either side of Evans Town Center Boulevard, where police made way for the former president’s impending motorcade, and many supporters were congregated as far as North Belair and Evans to Locks roads.
Trump’s appearance with Governor Brian Kemp proved a worthy occasion for many who still don’t have power, or have suffered home damage during the storm. Mary McAllister’s attendance was the first time she had left her property in five days.
“We’re not the only ones who had tree fall on our house,” said McAllister, who recalled being in Florida during Hurricane Charley. “We are amongst other people who are trying to find a little bright side to all of this. I honestly can’t believe he’s here, in our little town, that they care enough to say ‘hey’ to us.”
Stephen Smith, a transplant to Grovetown from Washington state, said he met Trump during his campaign rally in Spokane, Wash. in 2016. Smith, a former sawmill worker in his home state, remembers asking the then-presidential candidate to do something about the North American Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
“We came from a small town, and it really impacted our community,” said Smith. “And so he looked at me and said, ‘That’s exactly what I’m going to do.’ And he shook my hand.”
Trump would, in fact, sign an agreement that replaced NAFTA with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) in 2020.
Election opinions
Many in attendance expressed admiration for the former president, along with a hope that he will see another term in office.
Donna Gibbs, who was waiting for Trump to arrive, said she anticipates that his CSRA visit will “get people encouraged and get our country back on track, and get, you know, people out to the polls to vote for the real president.”
An attendee who declined to give her name, said that she voted for Trump in both 2016 and 2020, but thinks that this year holds more weight due to current issues such as border control and the economy.
“Not 100% of everything that he says I agree with,” she said. “But basically, you know, you have two choices, and you have to make the best choice for what’s good for America.”
Many Trump supporters who came out, like Jesse and Alyssa Fitzpatrick, found their support of the former president bolstered by his visit to Columbia County, finding that it indicates a sincere concern.
“I’m excited to see that he cares about local communities,” said Alyssa Fitzpatrick. “He just dives right in… he tries his best to see where the country is at.”
Her husband agreed, saying “It tells me that he really cares for the people,” Jesse, whose personal stance against abortion is one major reason for his support of Trump, recalled when he learned of Friday’s event, hadn’t even thought that it would be on account of the storm.
“I was just thinking, ‘I get to see Trump!’” he said.
Storm relief
Gwen Orr shared that she learned about Trump’s plan to visit upon returning home from providing aid to people in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene. Orr said she believes Trump can provide similar aid for Augusta.
“We like that he’s actually coming here to help the people of Augusta because, like, my parents are here, and they need the support here just as much as they do [in North Carolina],” said Orr. “But like, he’s actually gonna impact people here.”
A local business owner, who asked to remain unnamed, mentioned his curiosity about what the Trump administration would have done in a scenario similar to Hurricane Helene.
“We were really affected by the storm,” he said. “And, you know, the $750 that they’re proposing from FEMA won’t do anything, it won’t even by a generator.”
FEMA refers to The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is an agency that coordinates within the federal government to make sure America is equipped to prepare for and respond to disasters.
Opponents of Donald Trump
Kristin and Matthew Cruz were among the only Harris-Walz supporters in attendance, waving blue signs and all. Kristin Cruz said she came out to remind her “red neighbors” that there “are blue people here, too.”
“The is a predominantly Republican county, and I just want them to know that people who think differently exist,” said Cruz, noting that she has had what she calls “interesting conversations with her fellow residents with differing views, but that “for the most part” her Republican interlocutors were respectful. Overall, however, she felt that appearances like Trump’s, or Kamala Harris’ in Augusta earlier this week, do more harm than good in the wake of a disaster.
“I can only speak for myself, but I am not all that in favor of these kinds of events that take our police officers away from the help our citizens need to recover,” she said. “This is an expense to our community. But I felt like my neighbors that are coming out, with their Trump-red and their signs and all, just needed to know that there are those of us that support Harris.”
