Donald Trump continues to blow away the other GOP candidates when it comes to his rallies — and he just showed Jeb Bush that he can even draw a max capacity crowd in his own state.
Billionaire presidential candidate Donald Trump delighted more than 10,000 fans Friday night, savaging President Barrack Obama, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who is trailing Trump badly in state polls.
Trump took the stage at the University of South Florida’s Sun Dome 40 minutes late. Screaming fans didn’t seem to care, however, cheering for “The Donald’s” familiar themes such as building a wall between the United States and Mexico and abolishing Obama’s signature Affordable Care Act.
But the flaxen-haired New Yorker saved special venom for Bush, whom Trump labeled “gutless” and “a total stiff.” He noted that Bush has spent over $100 million on ads, many of them attacking Trump, but remains low in the polls after finishing fourth in Monday’s New Hampshire primary. “Jeb, ugh. He’s asleep at the wheel,” Trump said. “Can you imagine Jeb negotiating with China?”
His supporters ate it up, booing when Obama or Bush’s name came up, and chanting with Trump, “Build that wall,” a reference to Trump’s pledge that Mexico will pay “100 percent” for a border barrier. “Donald is the only one that’s going to save us,” said supporter Claudia DeGrazia, clasping her hands over her chest. “He really holds my heart. Right from the beginning, I have never strayed from my belief this guy is going to make it.”
DeGrazia and thousands of others stood in lines that wrapped hundreds of yards around the Sun Dome to present tickets they printed online with no guarantee of a seat. They joked and laughed, showing off red “Make America Great Again” hats and Trump signs. Every one of the 10,500 seats in the arena appeared full, the occupants subjected to detailed searches that included metal detectors.
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