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Trump Delivers His Greatest Hits At The Bay Center

Bob Barrett
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WUWF News

  Donald Trump made a return trip to Pensacola Friday evening and, it appears, he doesn’t like the media. "The show is beginning. Not the donors. Not the insiders. Not the media executives, very dishonest people." Statements like that are music to the ears of his supporters who, it seems, also don’t like the media. "These are very, very dishonest people."

Credit Bob Barrett / WUWF News
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WUWF News

Trump spoke for about an hour at the Pensacola Bay Center on Friday night. It was his second trip to the arena this year. His supporters were lining up early outside the Bay Center on the hot, sunny afternoon. Anita Allen was one of the first in line. She traveled to the event from Georgia. "Trump is here and this is the closest we could get." Allen says she’s attracted by Trump the image he projects as the everyman. "He is a down to Earth, everyday person that sees what the little people see. He's not just this billionaire up there on Wall Street looking down on us. He's looking with us."

Credit Bob Barrett / WUWF News
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WUWF News
Jeff from Australia

And although Anita drove down from Georgia, she did not travel the farthest to see Mr. Trump on Friday. A man named Jeff was talking to a group of people outside the arena early Friday. He is from Melbourne, Australia. He says he was here to experience not only the Trump phenomenon, but the whole American electoral process. "I think Australia has a lot to learn from America. America is the center of the world for us, so I'm excited to be here. And I think strong leaders are good things."

And there were some interesting things happening outside the Bay Center before the rally. Across the street, there was a small group of Hillary Clinton supporters waving signs and chanting as Trump supporters lined up to enter the arena. Off to the side, a group of three young men wearing Trump apparel was talking, calmly and respectfully with one of the Hillary supporters. One of the Trump supporters, a young man named Grant talked about the conversation. "I wish we could compromise some more. Each side has good ideas. I'm not going to act like the Republicans have all the good ideas and the Democrats have all the bad ideas. We have so many outside problems that are affecting our country. We need to come together at home so we can take on what is happening around the world."

Credit Bob Barrett / WUWF News
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WUWF News
Matt Gaetz

Inside at the rally, there wasn’t much talk about compromise. Congressional candidate Matt Gaetz, who apparently also doesn’t like the media, opened the event followed by outgoing state representative Mike Hill and other local government and Republican Party officials. Outgoing Congressman Jeff Miller and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani also spoke to the crowd. Well, for Giuliani it wasn’t so much talking as shouting. And once he hit the stage, Trump delivered his greatest hits, vowing to build a wall along the southern border with Mexico footing the bill. He also had some words for the Iranians. "And by the way, with Iran. When they circle our beautiful destroyers with their little boats and they make gestures at our people that they shouldn't be allowed to make. They will be shot out of the water!"

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Rudy Giuliani at the Trump rally

And of course he saved some of his best red meat material for his opponent, who he says could get away with murder. "She could walk into this arena right now and shoot somebody with 20,000 people watching. Right smack in the middle of the heart. And she wouldn't be prosecuted. that's what's happened. that's what's happening to our country."

As the rally wound down several protesters started chanting and were escorted from the arena, but it was fairly peaceful and there were no other incidents. There are no further plans for Donald Trump to return to Pensacola before Election Day. 

Bob Barrett has been a radio broadcaster since the mid 1970s and has worked at stations from northern New York to south Florida and, oddly, has been able to make a living that way. He began work in public radio in 2001. Over the years he has produced nationally syndicated programs such as The Environment Show and The Health Show for Northeast Public Radio's National Productions.