In his 2024 presidential campaign, former President Donald Trump appeared at a Grand Rapids rally on July 20 with his running mate, Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance, for the first time since the pair received nominations from the Republican Party. Trump’s appearance in Grand Rapids showcases the importance of Michigan voters as a battleground state to the presidential election.
The Michigan rally, which took place at Van Andel Arena, was Trump’s first appearance following an assassination attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13. His appearance also took place one day prior to President Biden dropping his candidacy for the presidential race, a mere four months before the election, which led Vice President Kamala Harris to step into play. Harris officially accepted the Democratic nomination at the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 21, positioning her as the number one rival to Trump’s campaign.
Thousands of supporters filled the streets of downtown Grand Rapids, clad in Donald Trump merchandise, American flag prints and red, white and blue. MLive reported that the line in front of Van Andel Arena spanned nearly two miles long, with attendees even camping out the night before to secure their space in the queue. Crowding from Ionia Avenue as far as Martin Luther King Jr. Street, supporters swept towards the Secret Service security checkpoint in hopes of entering the arena. People gathered from many different places, some driving in from neighboring cities or across multiple states to make it to the Michigan rally.
Amy and Mark England, two assistant pastors with the Lighthouse Church of All Nations from Alsip, Illinois, drove up to Grand Rapids to attend the rally. Amy England said that as they waited in line on Ionia Street, she felt unity with the other supporters gathered since everyone had come from so many different backgrounds.
“If God has ordained your future and your steps to where you’re gonna go, nothing can stop it,” Amy England said. “That’s why we’re here supporting this movement. We’re not even from Grand Rapids. I’ve made friends with people in this line since 10:15 a.m. We all want to go to the same place, together. We’re all civilized and in order, like it should be to support this movement, and that’s what’s important.”
Military veteran Cam Campillo found a way around waiting for hours in line, but it cost him.
“So I actually paid somebody 20 bucks, cut in line and got here around like two o’clock,” Campillo said. “The art of the deal.”
Many vendors and stalls seemed to open up entirely for the occasion, lining the sidewalks selling T-shirts, flags, caps, pins and other merchandise with Trump’s name and face. Some popular designs included “I’m voting for the felon,” images of Trump’s mugshot and his slogan “Make America Great Again.” Other celebrants of the forty-fifth president took to their own creativity, sporting homemade bedazzled Trump hats, Trump garb and even decorative car accessories.
Many attendees sported look-alike outfits of the former president’s usual navy blue suit, white collared shirt and red tie. Several supporters went as far as completing the outfit with a blonde wig and a faux-bandage over their ear, imitating the injury Trump sustained from the recent assassination attempt when a bullet grazed his head in a near-miss.
The assassination attempt left two dead, including one innocent spectator and the gunman himself, Mathew Crooks. Two attendees faced critical injuries. Trump was rushed offstage by security personnel with a bullet wound to his ear. It was later announced the former president had not sustained any serious injuries.
Gail Lossing, a vendor selling Trump merchandise across the street from Van Andel Arena, said she’d seen a “good crowd” of customers that day.
“It was a good crowd, and a very safe environment,” Lossing said. “We’ve got really good products, good quality stuff and people are excited. (Trump’s) got great plans and I just hope he gets in because he’s going to do a lot of good things for Michigan.”
Roger Bouwman regularly operates the weekend hot dog stand “Gringo Dog’s Hotdog Shop” on Monroe St. in Grand Rapids. When he learned the Trump rally would convene while closing up his stand in the early hours of July 20, he and his crew decided to stay put.
“When we’re closing down about 2:30-3:00 o’clock in the morning, the streets (are normally) empty,” Bouwman said. “But when we were closing down last night, all these guys (other vendors) were setting up and asking me, ‘Hey, are you moving?’ So I didn’t. We’ve been here all night.”
Bouwman said he is a fan of conspiracy theories, which led him to visit Washington D.C. on January 6 when thousands stormed the U.S. Capitol building. He recalled sitting across the street from the Capitol while crowds flooded the Capitol lawns and broke into the building. Bouwman said he met a few others at the Trump rally in Grand Rapids that were also in attendance on January 6.
“I went to January 6 in D.C. (and) I met two people here today that were there,” Bouwman said. “I’m a conspiracy junkie to begin with. I went and sat down at the reflecting pond (the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool) with my buddy and we just watched the barricades get removed. The violence that you saw (broadcast on TV) was all staged for the cameras, nobody went there to cause trouble, (the atmosphere) was a big party.”
Attendee James Berghuis came to Grand Rapids from Holland, Michigan for the Trump rally. Berghuis stood in line for the event outside for about five hours, but said it “would be worth every second” to see the former president speak.
Berghuis said he’d seen newsfeed coverage of the assassination attempt while at work, and was unsurprised to learn of the attempt on Trump’s life.
“Everyone seemed to be kind of waiting (for it), like this is probably going to happen someday for the man,” Berhuis said. “I wasn’t surprised. By the grace of God, I really think a lot of good things are going to happen for this country soon underneath new leadership.”
With the fatal events of the recent campaign still fresh in mind, Grand Rapids Police Department Chief Eric Winstram said law enforcement doubled down for the rally. Local police services from around the area worked together to make sure the event was secure. Agencies in attendance included Michigan State Police, the Kent County Sheriff’s Office, Sparta Police Department and even officers from smaller towns like Rockford and Grandville. Grand Valley State University’s police department (GVPD) and police from Grand Rapids Community College also pitched in, according to Winstram.
“What the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania did was highlight how important it is to make sure we get everything right,” Winstram said. “We’ve had 10 total police agencies here, so essentially it was all hands on deck.”
A small group of protesters also gathered with signs. Bouwman said he spent some time with the protesters, and said that despite the political opposition, the crowd that he served in Grand Rapids was “a great crowd.”
“I went over and hung out with the protesters for a little bit over here,” Bouwman said. “The thing that bothers me most when I was growing up, and even today, is that people tell you the two things you never talk about are politics and religion. Those are the only two things you should be talking about because they’re the two things that will totally mess up your life.”
Attendees faced a security checkpoint manned by the Secret Service with metal detectors, and additional law enforcement officers and Van Andel security in the arena. Upon entering the venue, floods of people were directed to open seats. Doors opened at 1 p.m and by 4 p.m., the balcony was nearly filled.
Winstram said the biggest challenge faced by security was the amount of people trying to attend the rally, and preparation was the most important part.
“I believe the (Trump) campaign said they gave out maybe 35,000 or so tickets, and (Van Andel) only seats about 12,000,” Winstram said. “Logistically, it’s a lot more to worry about. Having zero issues today was a victory for us, but it’s not something we take for granted. Being that we are the second biggest city in Michigan, (and that) Michigan is a battleground state, the blueprint for how to do this was already there.”
The Grand Rapids rally served as a formal stage to reintroduce Trump’s vice president choice as his official running mate. The pair received formal nominations from the Republican Party at the Republican National Convention on July 15.
The vice presidential nominee for the Republican Party, J.D. Vance, has served as the junior senator of Ohio since 2023 and is a Marine veteran. Campillo, among many attendees, said he was admittedly unfamiliar with Vance.
“I follow politics a lot,” Campillo said. “I worked for a congressman when I got out of the military. I don’t know a lot about J.D. Vance, so I don’t want to say I don’t trust him, but I don’t know him yet.”
Several attendees said they admired Vance despite not knowing very much about him.
“I think he’s a great pick,” said attendee Angela Davis. “I don’t know a whole lot about him so far, but I know that he comes from a background that he’s able to relate to the people in America that haven’t come from a whole lot. (When) our forefathers started this country, it was founded on values and morals, and everything has completely gone. It’s crazy. I want America to be great again.”
Attendee Chloe Hamilton said she loved the former president’s VP pick, and would brave the line outside the arena over again for the chance to see them both.
“I’m pumped,” Hamilton said. “I was in a line for, like, forever, and was just hoping to get in. I love (Vance). I love everything (about him), I can’t wait to see how this all plays out.”
Trump entered the arena to thundering applause, and the stadium took to their feet.
At the rally, the former president focused his political approach on sustaining Michigan’s auto and production industries, joked about appealing to Michiganders through baseball, pushed his “no tax on tips” proposal and announced his endorsements of other political candidates in Michigan. Trump also invited Republican Sandy Pensler to the stage, who used the platform to announce he would drop his candidacy in the Michigan race for U.S. Senate, endorsing his main opponent former U.S. Rep. Mike Rodgers.
“If you’re a mover, a driver or anyone else who relies on tips, the (tip) money is going to be 100% yours,” Trump said. “You better go vote. If that doesn’t get you off your ass to go out and vote for Trump, nothing will.”
Trump specified utilizing the manufacturing and automotive powers of Michigan. He said he expects the “four greatest years of the history of our country” upon taking his previous political seat, and promises to “rescue the U.S. auto industry from obliteration.”
“I believe that Michigan is going to have the greatest (four years) of any of the states because I’m going to bring back your auto industry,” said Trump. “I’m not going to take this. We stand on the shoulders of the brave Michigan patriots and tough Michigan workers who manned the first assembly lines. You remember that?”
Social Security stability is another worry that many people share in anticipation of the presidential election. According to Newsweek, trust funds in Social Security are set to be depleted by 2035, which is a looming terror snagging the attention of the American workforce that includes retirees, intermediate and entry-level workers.
At the rally, Trump promised to use in-country oil to help curb Social Security costs without cutting the program– a jab at the Biden-Harris administration’s discussion of extending Social Security to immigrants that enter America without legal authorization.
“All of these immigrants coming in, (Democrats are) trying to put them onto Medicare and Social Security,” Trump said. “Not only do they want them to vote, they want to destroy Social Security and Medicare. I went through four years, it was never even a topic that was allowed to be discussed because we have the liquid gold under our feet and the growth mechanisms in this country. We don’t have to cut Social Security.”
Both parties plans do not hold a strong chance to stop the collapse of Social Security, according to Forbes. Harris’ plan places higher taxes on high-income individuals, who are more financially capable, and extends benefits for low-income persons. However, the expansion of benefits for low-income individuals dissolves in the long term. Trump’s plan to raise income in the country through oil drilling among other actions is not projected to create enough funds to support Social Security either. His plan would also lower the price of gas in the country, but increase harmful carbon emissions by millions of metric tons.
This issue, among several others, polarizes the candidates in the presidential election.
The event concluded with Trump promising action on his first day in office.
“If you took the 10 worst presidents in the history of the United States and added them up, they would not have done near the destruction to our country as Joe Biden and his horrible administration have done,” Trump said. “On day one, I will sign a new executive order to cut federal funding for any school pushing critical race theory, transgender insanity and any other inappropriate racial, sexual or political content onto the shoulders of our children.”
As a result of the rally, Michigan’s importance to the presidential election has been on display. Besides Grand Rapids having been the first stop for the Trump-Vance campaign, Harris visited
Detroit on Labor Day to campaign with union leaders. Rumors are also swirling that a future presidential debate may be hosted in Grand Rapids.
Young voters are often an overlooked demographic that historically hold incredible power to influence important elections. According to CIRCLE, there will be over 40 million college-aged, Gen Z voters eligible to participate in the 2024 election. GVSU is a ballot location for residents of Allendale, and the University will be holding several voting registration events leading up to the election in November.
