NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Supporters and demonstrators have converged in the heart of Nashville in anticipation of President Donald Trump’s visit.
A line of Trump supporters waiting to get into the president’s rally snaked around Nashville’s historic Municipal Auditorium for about a half-mile. Many supporters wore hats that said “Make America Great Again” and sometimes squared off with protesters. However, there didn’t appear to be any violence.
“I happen to be a college-educated professional and I have all of my teeth,” said Louis Holiday, a Trump voter. The attorney, who drove from Murphy, North Carolina, said Trump supporters had been ridiculed and labeled racists.
Disabled veteran Edward Dice of Belchertown, Massachusetts, said he drove his 11-year-old daughter down to see Trump because he wanted her to see something historic.
“No other president does something like this,” Dice said of Trump’s rallies
Many of the demonstrators were protesting a Republican health proposal that would cut the health care program for the poor.
Mary Kowalski, a 68-year-old retired nurse and social worker from Nashville, was one of them. She held as sign that said “Liar” on one side and “Dump Trump” on the other.
“The man is a pathological liar,” Kowalski said. “It’s been documented at least 100 times, and the whole world is looking at us and wondering what’s happening in America.”
Protesters held signs that said “Save Planned Parenthood” and “Trumpcare is a nightmare.”
Nashville, a Democratic-stronghold that prides itself on its musical roots, lies in the midst of a heavily Republican state.
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