BALLS FOR PRESIDENT!
EW’s top takeaways from the Trump rally at
Eugene’s Lane Events Center B Y E W S TA F F
Trump says ‘Or-a-gone,’
again and again and again
And the crowd goes wild
The topics that got the most cheers during Trump’s speech
were bombing ISIS, just the mention of “China” and
building the wall at the Mexican border — in fact, people
went batshit for this last one. And when Trump called out
two separate anti-Trump protesters inside the rally —
taunting “Get the hell out of here” and “Go home to
mommy” — the crowd went Hunger Games bonkers,
chanting “U.S.A.” until the floor rumbled.
Seriously Donald, this is a bipartisan issue. It’s Orygun.
Strictly business
Donald Trump vendors don’t necessarily support Trump.
One vendor EW spoke with, who was dripping in Trump
merch, said he had worked the Springfield Bernie rally as
well, and that he was an undecided voter. As the anti-
Trump protesters filled 13th Avenue early in the evening,
one vendor proclaimed to no one in particular: “I don’t
give a fuck about Trump,” adding, “I just want to make
some money. All politicians are liars anyway.”
The media is horrible
Trump’s army had very strict rules for the press. All
media had to remain inside what we’ll call the “pigpen,”
a fenced-in area packed with dozens of sweaty, rumpled
reporters, photographers and broadcasters. The media
could not walk around the rally, but had two choices: Stay
inside the pen or be escorted off the premises. Keeping
the press in the pit had a purpose; Trump likes to point to
the press at his rallies and mock them, e.g., “Look at
them,” he said, “the most horrible people.”
Ballz, ballz, ballz
The vendors did have some interesting wares for sale.
Most notably: A T-shirt with bulbous testicles bearing the
American flag, and pins that stated “KFC Hillary Special:
2 Fat Thighs, 2 Small Breasts, Left Wing” and “Trump
2016: Finally Someone with Balls.” Trump’s run must be
the most genitalia-centric in history. Vendors said their
Eugene sales were great.
Not so huuuuge
“You are!” “No, you are!”
Some protesters and some Trumpers were guilty of
goading and gloating, hurling hyperbole over the fence
that separated them along 13th Avenue. However, the
highly organized protesters, who closed down several
blocks of 13th Avenue, did make it feel like a fun
neighborhood block party with lawn festivities, boom
boxes bumping and several Mexican flags waving.
The POPO
There was a large police presence outside the Lane Events
Center, yet the general feeling from the force was calm.
EW witnessed no police aggression towards ralliers or
protesters.
During the rally, Trump told the crowd that thousands of
supporters were waiting outside the Lane Events Center and
that they should “Let them in!” — fire codes be damned. EW
stepped outside to find a couple dozen people milling about.
Visit the EW Facebook page to see the video.
’Merica chic
The Trump supporters inside the event center had a
unified sartorial aesthetic (much more so than Bernie’s
rally): ubiquitous red “Make America Great Again” caps,
camo, head-to-toe red-white-and-blue ensembles,
bedazzled jeans and, finally, T-shirts with every variation
of bald eagles, American flags and bomb ISIS messages.
Tommy Hilfiger take note.
Trump on the ladies
“Nobody respects women more than Donald Trump. My
daughter Ivanka says ‘Daddy, no one respects women
more than you.’”
Best protest sign of the night
“No lives matter. Humans are terrible.”
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON STUDENT
AKILAH POWELL (HOLDING THE
‘DUMP TRUMP EUGENE’ SIGN) LED
THE PROTEST CHARGE
photos by todd cooper
eugeneweekly.com • May 12, 2016
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