A Trump Tale: How the president’s visit sparked red and blue alike

Mansoor Ahmad
Staff Photographer

“Thank you, Minnesota.” The cheers grew louder as the words traveled down and around the capacious, storied arena. A sea of people wearing red and white shirts filled the stands, imitating the Star-Spangled Banner albeit missing the blue. President Donald Trump moved closer to the microphone and continued, “This feels like the day before the election.”

Outside, a tribe of protesters filled the streets of Downtown Minneapolis, holding different signs and posters. Unlike the inside of the Target Center where one could visibly spot red in the high stands and in the hands of rally-goers, it was in piles of burnt hats and shirts outside, on the wet streets surrounding the arena. Rain was forecast, and it certainly came down.

Earlier in the day and later at night, the streets of Downtown Minneapolis had accumulated many puddles, almost as if it was nature’s own symbolic metaphor for the land of 10,000 lakes. Meanwhile, inside the Target Center, President Trump rained insults on his many ‘opponents’, including the mayor of Minneapolis, Minnesota’s Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and other presidential hopeful. Amid displaying his disappointment for Congresswoman Omar and calling out the “fake news” media, President Trump highlighted what mattered significantly to him: law and order. “I came right here to Minnesota, and I pledged to address this really important issue, and it’s the issue of law enforcement,” said President Trump.

The emphasis continued as President Trump remarked about how he has “been good to law enforcement”, unlike Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, drawing more cheers from what seemed like an endless source of admiration from the crowd.

President Trump subsequently transitioned to speaking about finances and the military, assuring a prospering economy and promising to bring back U.S. troops stationed in the Middle East. Rally-goers got out of their seats, waving posters bearing the name of president and the vice president joyously, cheering yet again for another “promise” made by the president.

As the rally ended, numerous young individuals formed lines facing the ranks of the riot police from the Minneapolis Police Department outside the arena. Some got pepper sprayed, others laid down on the damp road with their hands up, protesting a man they did not wish to identify as their president.