This story was reported and written VPM News.
Just three days before Election Day, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump campaigned alongside prominent Virginia politicians near Roanoke — despite polls indicating the commonwealth is out of his reach.
Thousands of people came to see Trump in Salem. Perhaps half wore clothing featuring Trump, Make America Great Again or other political messaging. They snaked around Salem’s Civic Center before packing the 7,000-seat theater. Hundreds, possibly thousands, of people were not allowed into the building.
Virginia elected officials and other Republican candidates spoke before the former president, depicting immigrants entering the country illegally in a negative light, saying Vice President Kamala Harris had ruined the economy, and frequently invoking Christianity and Jesus Christ.
All said Trump was the person to save the United States from “evil.”
“Every problem facing us can be solved, but now the fate of our nation is in your hands,” Trump said. “I stand before you today as the only candidate who can rescue our economy — and I mean from obliteration — and restore it to strength, prosperity and greatness again.”
In a rambling speech boomeranging to and from various topics, Trump claimed he could win Virginia — though polling suggests otherwise.
One poll, released by nearby Roanoke College on Nov. 1, had Harris 10 percentage points ahead of Trump, 51% to 41%. The former president lost Virginia to President Joe Biden in 2020 by a similar margin, 54% to 44%. Ahead of this year’s election, the commonwealth was not widely identified as one of the key “swing” or “battleground” states.
Trump also claimed he would win California, which has not had a GOP presidential candidate carry the state since George H.W. Bush in 1988, if there was “an honest election.”
Before Saturday’s rally began, the crowd cheered or booed at various points in response to videos on topics like immigration or union workers.
Then, some of the most prominent Republican officials, incumbents and candidates in the commonwealth spoke. Their overall message was that Trump would “fix” the country and the economy, but speakers gave significant time to speaking about transgender women and people illegally entering the US.
Senate candidate Hung Cao, State Sen. John McGuire (who is running in Virginia's 5th Congressional District), Congressmen Ben Cline (VA-06) and Morgan Griffith (VA-09) were among the speakers. Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, who is running for governor next year, Attorney General Jason Miyares and Gov. Glenn Youngkin also gave remarks.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s stump speech was one he has given many times on the campaign trail: He spoke about his surprise 2021 victory in Virginia and taking office in 2022, promoted economic growth in the commonwealth, and gave the audience five tasks: Vote, mobilize friends, put up signs, volunteer and pray — before leading the group in prayer.
“Give them the strength allow their message to be heard. Wipe the scales off of voters eyes so that they can see truth,” said Youngkin, in reference to a Bible verse in which the figure later known as Paul the Apostle regained his sight after converting to Christianity.
Other speakers also frequently invoked Christianity and said this election was a struggle between good and evil.
“These are narrow-minded global elites, the enemies of the enlightenment and the enemies of mankind, and they will continue unchecked unless we stop them at the ballot box on Tuesday,” said Rep. Ben Cline, whose 6th Congressional District includes Roanoke.
“We are not voting for the lesser of two evils. No, we are voting for the lessening of evil,” said Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. “It is evil to take off body parts of children. It is evil to have biological men in women sports.”
Transgender women were a particularly targeted group in the speeches. Trump brought on athletes from the Roanoke College swim team: Last year, a student who had previously competed on the men’s team asked to join the women’s team.
Saturday the team members who joined Trump onstage were dressed in pink shirts with hot dogs printed on them.
While not speaking in as stark terms as some of the earlier speakers, Youngkin discussed the same issues: He referred to parents’ rights, a reframing of public education that focuses on school choice, how the history of racism is taught in schools and how schools accommodate LGBTQ+ students.
Jim Snyder traveled to Salem from Alexandria, accompanied by a small dog with a service patch and a sticker that read “Guns Save Lives.”
“I’m just really concerned that if Kamala wins, that the country is going to veer to the left,” he said, claiming Democrats would end the congressional filibuster, pack the U.S. Supreme Court and grant amnesty to people that have entered the country illegally. “Essentially modify the Constitution, and that's the concern I have.”
As the crowd waited for two and a half hours for Trump to speak, songs from Luke Bryan and The Clash played. After the crowd started chanting “We Want Trump,” the former president came out.
“By the way we just won a big case, our Republicans,” said Trump, referring to the U.S. Supreme Court order that allows Virginia to continue purging voters — before changing the subject abruptly into claims about California Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s stock claims, saying Miyares’ office should perhaps investigate.
VPM News sent an email to Miyares’ spokesperson requesting clarification, but did not immediately hear back.
Virginia House Speaker Don Scott, a Democrat, took aim at the governor in a statement sent to reporters Saturday night.
“Three years ago, Governor Youngkin was hesitant even to utter the name ‘Trump.’” it read. “Today, he stands on stage, chanting it. This shift speaks volumes about where his priorities lie.”
Earlier the day during his remarks, Youngkin said he “knew” Trump would win last week, when he saw the former president dressed in an orange vest and driving a garbage truck — a reference to President Joe Biden recently referring to Trump’s supporters as “garbage.”
“Now, you know, I prefer red, but when I saw him with that vest on, I said, ‘That's brilliant. He's going to win,’” said Youngkin. ”What a moment when we see our future president standing with Americans, saying, ‘I am one of you. You can trust me.’”
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