More than 7,500 people filed into the Show Me Center auditorium near Southeast’s campus for President Donald Trump’s last MAGA rally of the midterm elections season. Another 4,000 were housed in an “overflow area” in the Student Recreation Center, Cape Girardeau Fireman Chris Miller said.
Southeast sophomore biology major and MAGA rally volunteer Hunter Kerr said he was not going to risk missing the event.
“He’s the sitting president of the United States and he’s going to be speaking two minutes from where I live,” Kerr said.
Hundreds of signs, distributed by President Donald J. Trump for President, Inc., floated amongst the crowd with phrases such as “Jobs vs. Mobs,” “Buy American, Hire American” and “Stand up for America.”
The first speaker of the evening, Bishop Bob Graham, asked attendees to link hands “as a sign of unity” as he said a prayer over the event. During his prayer he quoted Proverbs 29:2 which reads “When the righteous are in authority the people will rejoice, but when the unrighteous are in rule the people will mourn.”
A laundry list of Missouri GOP representatives followed Graham speaking in support of the president, including congressional representatives Jason Smith and Billy Long and Governor Mike Parson.
Parson called for the crowd to be at their “loudest and rowdiest” when Trump took the stage.
“For two minutes, I don’t want him to say a word because you’re so loud he can’t talk,” Parson said.
As commander in chief of the armed forces in the state of Missouri, Parson offered their services in defending the nation’s borders. He said Missouri was the number one supplier of efficient energy in the world.
Parson compared the two candidates vying to represent Missouri in the U.S. Senate to the rising and setting sun — with Josh Hawley rising and Senator Claire McCaskill setting.
“I want to watch Claire ride off in it,” Parson said.
Jason Smith, who represents the 8th District, received cheers from the crowd for phrases like “make sure McCaskill gets the boot.” Smith said after the election on Tuesday, supporters should have the phrase “four more years” ingrained in their minds.
Bennet Wartley, Poplar Bluff chief of police, said he has a list of 32 Missouri bootheel law enforcement office holders who unanimously support Republican candidate Josh Hawley for U.S. Senate.
Conservative TV and radio personality Sean Hannity received a warm welcome from the crowd as he began filming for his show near the edge of the standing room area.
Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child of Mine” blasted over the loudspeaker and MAGA hats and t-shirts were tossed into the crowd by White House staff shortly before it was confirmed that Air Force One had touched down at Cape Girardeau Regional Airport.
