Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, will hold a campaign rally Oct. 12 in Ocala.
The rally will begin at noon at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion, located at 2232 NE Jacksonville Road, said Denise Alexander, the facility operations manager for the venue.
While the event is not listed on Trump’s campaign website, Alexander said a representative for the campaign contacted her Monday and told her to reserve Oct. 12 for a rally and send the campaign a contract to look over.
The Marion County Attorney’s Office approved a contract later that afternoon allowing Trump to speak. Tickets will be available through the campaign’s website.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to have a Republican candidate for president of the United States,” she said.
Nearly a month after Trump’s running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, held a rally in The Villages, Florida, Alexander said Trump’s rally would give voters in North Central Florida a rare opportunity to hear Trump speak in person. The Villages is located near Ocala.
As is the case with most Trump rallies, Alexander said she expects to see protesters at the Ocala rally but added that she’s used to it. Whenever circus performers book shows at the pavilion, she said animal-rights protesters often appear.
This, Alexander said, will be no different.
Once details are confirmed, a Trump staffer will visit the venue and run through logistics and security protocol. Alexander said she will work closely with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and Ocala Police to secure the venue, which can hold 12,000 people.
“We certainly want this to be a peaceful event,” she said.
If he hadn’t already experienced a Trump rally before, 21-year-old Yousef Alghawi said he would consider attending the Ocala event.
The UF political science and English junior attended Trump’s rally in Sunrise, Florida, on Aug. 10 and said it was an invaluable experience despite his contempt for the candidate’s firebrand rhetoric.
“Once was enough for me, honestly,” Alghawi said. “It was one of the most terrifying events I have ever been to. There was a lot of prejudice, and some people were wearing anti-LGBT shirts.”
Still undecided between Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and Green Party candidate Jill Stein, Alghawi said he would encourage registered voters to attend the rally.
“It’s invaluable,” he said. “He is a contender for the presidency. To act like he’s not or to try to lessen that is not only ignorant — it’s dangerous.”
Angel Gonzalez, a 19-year-old UF political science sophomore and Trump supporter, said he has watched virtually all of Trump’s campaign speeches via live stream and once drove from Gainesville to Tampa to see Trump in person.
Gonzalez said the rally he attended was a stark contrast from what Trump critics and some media outlets have portrayed the events to be.
“It was a great environment,” he said. “It was super fun. The guy knows how to work a crowd. (He’s) super charismatic.”
After voting for Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primaries, Gonzalez said he realized Sanders would not trounce Clinton and threw his support to Trump.
He said Trump’s anti-establishment, nationalist ideals resonate with him.
“I think Trump can be a really symbolic victory,” he said. “It’s like a Brexit vote.”
Gonzalez said it’s important for eligible voters to review both candidates before they draw conclusions and resort to hatred for other voters.
“It’s just a level of respect that needs to be had between both parties,” he said.
Conservative political commentator Tomi Lahren announced Tuesday that she will be attending the football game this Saturday.
She made the announcement on Twitter saying, “Who is going to the LSU-UF game this weekend? @DonaldJTrumpJr and I will be there! Retweet!”
She will reportedly be joined by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s son, Donald Trump, Jr. Lahren also announced on Twitter that the pair plan on live-streaming from the football game using Facebook Live.
Media representatives for both political figures did not return requests for comment before press time.
- Catherine Dickson
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gestures during a campaign rally, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016, in Las Vegas.
