Not everyone came out to Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum for political reasons — for some, it was solely the Trump rally atmosphere that drew them in.
Alex Huson, 20, wasn’t at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Wednesday because he’s particularly into politics — he came because the Trump rally atmosphere is like a party, he said.
Trump flags filled the air, food trucks served fried oreos, and Miley Cyrus’ “Party In The U.S.A” blasted from the speakers. Rows of vendors extended as far as the eye could see, their tables filled with pro-Trump merchandise — shirts of Trump yelling “fight!” following his assassination attempt, pink flags that read “Girls for Trump,” and even visors with a tuft of orange hair on top.
It’s not necessarily the kind of vibe one would expect for a political event, much less one for perhaps the most controversial politician in recent memory.
The rally is Trump’s first large public appearance following an apparent second assassination attempt on Sunday.
Mike Mercier, on drums, and Steve Reznik, on electric guitar, played music to hype up the crowd of thousands waiting to enter the coliseum to hear the Republican presidential candidate speak. Their set list included patriotic ballads like “America the Beautiful,” and high-energy anthems like “We’re Not Gonna Take It” — a jab, it seems, at Democratic leadership including presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.
“This is its own reward,” said Reznik, who drove down from Connecticut to experience the Trump rally atmosphere in Nassau County. “Oh, I love the atmosphere.”
What makes the Trump rally atmosphere?
So what creates this Trump rally atmosphere? If the fervor of support that surrounds the former president isn’t solely rooted in politics, then what is it that’s drawing people in?
The answer, Reznik said, is a sense of community. He believes Trump supporters are persecuted by non-supporters and the media, which he doesn’t have to worry about amid the Trump rally atmosphere.
“I feel like, ‘Oh, I’ve got something in common with these people,’” he said, gesturing to the sea of red MAGA hats. “Here, you can be yourself.”