At Miami rally, Trump supporters revel in Democrats' "chaos"
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Trump supporters at Trump National Doral Miami. Photo: Martin Vassolo/Axios
Donald Trump supporters stood in line for hours to hear the former president speak at his Miami golf resort on Tuesday, despite a heat advisory in South Florida.
Why it matters: Trump's rally came the week before the Republican National Convention and amid a crisis of confidence among supporters of his presumed November opponent, President Joe Biden.
What they're saying: Avi Bejar, 18, of Fort Lauderdale, arrived at the Trump National Doral Miami around noon, two hours before doors opened for the 7pm campaign rally.
- He wanted to get there early for his first Trump rally. After all, it will be his first election, too. "For the Panthers parade, I got there like 10 hours early. When I support someone, I'm loyal to them and I like being on time."
- Bejar said Biden should "absolutely" drop out of the race after a shaky debate performance last month raised doubts about his mental sharpness. "I don't think he's fit for this at all."
Elvira Santana, also of Fort Lauderdale, said she's happy seeing concerns about Biden's performance dominating the news cycle. She says Biden should retire.
- "I love it. Chaos," she told Axios. "We knew this was going on for years. They've been hiding it."
For his part, Trump said Democrats were stuck choosing "which of their candidates is more unfit to be president, Sleepy Joe Biden or Laughing [Vice President] Kamala [Harris]," per the Miami Herald.
- "It doesn't matter who they nominate because we're going to beat any one of them," he added.
The intrigue: Trump has yet to name a running mate and speculation has been swirling about Miami Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, who spoke at the event, as a top contender.
- Bejar said "it would most definitely be cool" to have two Floridians in the White House, but "whoever Trump picks is the perfect man for the job."
The other side: The Democratic National Committee paid for anti-Trump billboards around Miami to condemn Trump's remarks that he would be a dictator on Day 1 of his presidency and his ties to Project 2025.
- Project 2025, a proposed presidential transition plan led by two of Trump's former administration officials, seeks to revoke federal approval for the abortion pill, among other policy proposals
- Trump has said he "knows nothing" of the project, but Republicans his campaign appointed to craft the party's platform have deep ties to it.