Thousands Rally in Support of Donald Trump in Las Vegas Heat

Las Vegas, The Gulf Observer: In the sweltering Nevada heat, thousands of Donald Trump supporters gathered on Sunday to rally for the Republican presidential candidate in Las Vegas, a crucial battleground state for the upcoming US election in November.

“It’s not too hot out here, right?” the 77-year-old former president quipped to an enthusiastic crowd at Sunset Park. “If you start going down, we have people. They’ll pick you up right away. They’ll throw water.”

This rally marked Trump’s first major public appearance since being found guilty last month of falsifying business records to conceal a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election. Despite the legal setback, his most loyal followers seem undeterred, viewing the verdict as a reinforcement of his stance against Democratic rival President Joe Biden.

“I don’t care about what happened to him in the trial… it doesn’t change my mind about him at all,” said Lindsay Elliott, who attended the event with her family. “I think it’s going to help him. I think that the American people are done with this crap,” added the 40-year-old.

Her daughter, 19-year-old Mackenzie, echoed her sentiments: “It sucks what happened but I think it’s just going to make him stronger and make voters more encouraged to vote (for him).”

Trump, facing three other criminal cases likely to remain unresolved before the November election, delivered a nearly hour-long speech. He criticized Biden as “the worst president in the history of our country” and reiterated unfounded claims that the 2020 election was “stolen” by Democrats, despite exhaustive investigations finding no evidence of such fraud. Trump has been charged in connection with his alleged attempts to overturn the election results.

The former president also warned of dire consequences if he is not elected in November, telling supporters, “If it doesn’t happen, you’re headed to World War III.”

Trump’s visit to Las Vegas was part of a political tour through the American West, which included a fundraiser in California and a town hall event in Arizona. By 10:00 am (1700 GMT) on Sunday, the temperature had already reached 93 degrees Fahrenheit (34 Celsius), with supporters dressed in traditional Republican red queuing to hear Trump speak at midday as the temperature climbed to triple digits.

Vendors along the mile-long line sold t-shirts emblazoned with “I’m voting for the convicted felon,” referencing Trump’s recent verdict. Near the end of the rally, paramedics attended to at least one person overcome by the heat.

For Shay Chan, 25, the Las Vegas event was his first Trump rally, spurred by the recent New York court ruling. “It’s very disheartening to see America is turning in this direction,” Chan said. “If it can happen to Trump, it can happen to anyone else, right?”

Karen Hall, a Chilean living in the United States but not a citizen, attended to show her support, emphasizing the importance of legal immigration. “I’m an immigrant and I had to wait years to get my visa and arrive legally, and it bothers me that so many immigrants arrive illegally and pass through like it’s nothing. That bothers me a lot, that’s why I support President Trump,” she explained.

Beth Matthews, donning a Trump t-shirt, said the criminal conviction only strengthened her support. “I contributed right away to the campaign as soon as they came out” with the verdict, she stated.

As the November election approaches, Trump’s supporters remain fervent, galvanized by the legal challenges facing their candidate.