Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is scheduled to speak in Burlington at 7 p.m. this evening, and VPR has reporters both inside and outside the Flynn Center to bring you coverage of the supporters, the protestors and Trump himself.
Final Update 12:03 p.m. | Love And Hostility
Donald Trump’s brief trip made for a raucous political spectacle in Burlington this evening. Trump found some love, and lots of hostility, in the state that sent Bernie Sanders to the U.S. Senate.
Inside this blue state, though, are pockets of fire-engine red. And Trump had no trouble filling a 1,400-seat venue with adoring fans.
“Beautiful. We’re in Vermont, that air is so nice and clean. I‘m breathing so much of that air,” Trump said when he took the stage.
The Trump campaign issued 20,000 free tickets to the event, and turned away non-Trump supporters at the gate, the Burlington Free Press confirmed.
Katina Cummings said she was prevented from entering the Flynn when she said she didn’t support Trump.
"I said, ‘I’m not leaving,’ and they guided me and sort of pushed me out," Cummings said. "And I said, ‘This is a private event, I am not leaving.’ They said, ‘Well, you’ll be arrested.'"
Read a full recap of the event here.
Live Updates From The Flynn During Thursday Night's Event
I used to be an embedded Storify. See Editor’s Note below.
Update 8:41 p.m. | Trump Finishes Speech, Exits Stage
Once again, to Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger."
Update 8:32 p.m. | Despite Multiple Interruptions From Protesters, Trump Still Speaking
After more than an hour, Trump is still speaking despite multiple interruptions from protesters inside the Flynn Center.
Update 7:30 p.m. | Trump Takes The Stage
About a half-hour behind schedule, presidential candidate Donald Trump walked on stage at the Flynn Center to Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger":
And @realDonaldTrump has arrived on stage, praising Vermont's 'clean air' #VPRNews #vtpoli
— Peter Hirschfeld (@PeteHirschfeld) January 8, 2016
Update 6:40 p.m. | Non-Trump Supporters Are Being Turned Away From Entrance
According to a statement Trump made to the Burlington Free Press, his campaign is currently only admitting those who support the presidential candidate into the Flynn Center:
#BREAKING: @realDonaldTrump confirms to @bfp_news that only supporters are being admitted to #BTV speech. #btvtrump pic.twitter.com/K6IM8HAFEf
— Adam Silverman (@Wej12) January 7, 2016
Update 4:40 p.m. | Supporters And Skeptics Line Up
Mark Conrad arrived at the corner of Main and St. Paul in downtown Burlington well before dawn Thursday morning.
Conrad knew from media reports that the campaign of GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump had issued 20,000 free tickets for a venue that holds only 1,400.
“I heard that the police chief said if you come, don’t expect to get in. Enough said,” Conrad said Thursday afternoon.
Conrad was first in line for Trump’s event at the Flynn Center. By noon – five hours before the doors to the main stage would open – about 75 people had lined up behind him.
“We wanted to come over and see Mr. Trump, and obviously support him, as we’re Trump supporters and good conservatives,” said Plattsburgh, N.Y., resident Martin DesLauriers. “And we thought it was good opportunity [to do that,] because it’s close.”
The political spectacle that is Trump’s visit to the heart of Burlington was taking shape well before his arrival here. And while only a couple hundred or so people had turned out for the event by mid-afternoon, Burlington police had already established a formidable presence of uniformed officers and flashing cruisers.
“This is the hornet’s nest of liberals,” said Mike Hart, who traveled from Ausable Forks, N.Y., to attend the Trump rally. “And he’s coming into the hornet’s nest, so I wanted to come see what was going to happen.”
Trump will speak at 7 p.m. tonight, blocks away from the lakefront location where Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders launched his presidential campaign last year.
Vermont hasn’t gone Republican in a presidential race since George H.W. Bush bested Michael Dukakis in 1988. And this state’s overwhelming support for Barack Obama in 2012 – he fared better only in Hawaii – has earned it a reputation as among the bluest states in the nation.
Republicans however gained ground in both the Vermont House and Senate. The state’s incumbent Democratic governor was nearly knocked off by a relative unknown GOP candidate. And Michael Eaton, a 24-year-old Corinth resident, who joined the line to see Trump at about 10 a.m. Thursday morning, said Election Day 2014 was just the tip of the Republican spear.
“The general thought is there’s not too many [Trump supporters in Vermont],” Eaton said. “And I think today will hopefully show that’s not the case.”
Certainly the majority of the early birds in line were earnest Trump supporters. But even Sanders’ supporters were eager to hear the man speak.
Several groups have organized counter-rallies, from silent vigils to raucous protest.
And Vermonters horrified by Trump’s stand on foreign policy – he’s called for a temporary ban on the entry of Muslim’s into the United States – had been plotting strategies to protest his presence in Vermont’s largest city on social media.
Kirsten Bird, however, who was ready to wait in line for five hours to see the candidate, said she was there to see Trump say his piece.
“I think that it’s pretty cool that a political candidate other than Bernie, who’s from Burlington, is coming to Burlington,” said Bird, a 20-year-old Hinesburg resident. “People can protest if they want to, but I want to hear him out, and hear what he has to say to Bernie’s hometown.”
Another Sanders supporter, who arrived to the line at noon, said Sanders has a decent chance to win his vote in the general election. Daniel Nadeau, 22, of St. Albans, said he comes from a family of fiscally conservative, socially liberal independents.
“So most of the time we go with the person,” Nadeau said.
Nadeau said he first and foremost is looking for candidate who hasn’t been “bought and paid for” by corporate America. Nadeau said he’s uncomfortable with Trump’s stance on Muslin refugees, and his notorious statement about Mexican immigrants.
“I’m a little iffy on his social and race issues, but I think it’s more the reason he said most of that is political,” Nadeau said. “But if the DNC decides to push Bernie aside and crown Hillary, I’ll probably be voting for Trump, because enough economic issues line up that ... the positives outweigh the negatives.”
The question of why, exactly, Trump has chosen to touch down in Vermont remains a mystery. His campaign’s communications staff hasn’t responded to numerous requests for comment.
Tickets
In advance of the event, the Trump campaign issued "nearly 20,000" tickets for the 1,400 seat Flynn Center. The Burlington Police Department has sent out a press release with instructions on how they would be handling the overflow.
Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger has expressed concern over the campaign's over-ticketing, releasing a statement calling on the Trump campaign to take action:
“Vermonters value the First Amendment and robust political debate. In that spirit, I welcome Donald Trump and his presidential campaign to Burlington tomorrow. I am concerned, however, that the dramatic over-ticketing of the rally could mar Mr. Trump's visit. Since learning the facts of the ticketing situation late Tuesday, we have repeatedly expressed concern and encouraged the campaign to take steps to better manage the event. There is still time for the campaign to communicate with the thousands of ticket holders to reduce the possibility of inconvenience or a public safety risk for attendees tomorrow night. I urge the Trump Campaign to take responsible steps to ensure the event proceeds smoothly and without incident."
Parking
Due to increased security and influx of people into the downtown area Thursday, the Burlington Police Department released the following parking guidelines for the downtown Burlington area:
- There will be no parking on either side of Main Street, from Church Street to St. Paul Street.
- There will be on the City Hall Park side of St Paul Street from the corner of Main Street to College Street. This area will be reserved for properly identified press vehicles.
- There will be on Church Street from Main Street to King Street.
- With the exception of mass transit and emergency traffic, Main Street will be closed to vehicular and bicycle traffic from east to west in the downtown area.
?These guidelines are in effect Thursday from noon to midnight.
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