Thousands hear President Trump's plan for transforming America
President Donald Trump provided his supporters a game plan for transforming America, during a speech Saturday evening in Melbourne.
Roughly 9,000 people heard the president speak inside the massive AeroMod International hangar at Orlando Melbourne International Airport, according to Melbourne Fire Chief Chuck Bogle. Trump was joined on stage by first lady Melania Trump, who introduced her husband, amid cheers from the audience.
During his wide-ranging speech on both domestic and foreign issues, Trump promised that, within the next several weeks, he will introduce "a great health care plan that's going to take the place of the disaster Obamacare."
He said his plan will offer "much better health care and a much lower cost. Obamacare doesn't work. It is unaffordable."
The event was organized by the Donald Trump campaign, not the White House, which to many signaled the start of the president's 2020 campaign. Trump filed for re-election on Inauguration Day.
FULL COVERAGE: TRUMP IN MELBOURNE
Torres: Maybe this is how it's supposed to be
Trump rallies supporters in Melbourne
Large crowd of Trump protesters rallies outside airport
Reminiscent of his campaign rallies, those in attendance wore red "Make America Great Again" hats and T-shirts, shook pom-poms and waved signs.
In discussing jobs and the economy, Trump said, "We believe in two simple rules: Buy American and hire American. We're going to start providing jobs like you've never seen before. It's going to be a new day in America. You're going to be proud again."
Trump said he would "make our inner cities safe again," through efforts to "destroy criminal cartels" and stop illegal drugs coming into cities.
The president also addressed immigration and national security. Trump said he would soon start to build a wall with Mexico, and would "keep radical Islamic terrorists the hell out of our country" and "develop a plan to totally destroy ISIS."
Trump promised to push forward with immigration restrictions, despite a negative court ruling.
"We don't give up. We never give up," Trump said. "Next week, I think you'll be impressed. We've got to keep our country safe. We're going to have strong borders."
Several supporters at Saturday's rally pointed to immigration as the issue most important to them. They applauded Trump’s immigration ban and his plan to build a wall along the Mexican border.
"I think something needs to be done about it and has needed to be done for a long, and I think it’s finally going to get done,” said Linda Chastain, who traveled from Georgia to see Trump speak.
But many supporters were frustrated by what they described as a lack of cooperation from Trump's opponents.
“I just feel like he’s being, he’s being attacked from all sides. He really is,” said Karla Gamel. “I just hope this suspension gets back in order and that gets rolling,” she added, referring to the halted travel ban.
On other topics:
• Trump urged the crowd to call their U.S. senators, and tell them to support confirming his U.S. Supreme Court justice nominee, Neil Gorsuch, to fill the seat left vacant by the death last year of Justice Antonin Scalia.
"He will be a true defender of our Constitution," Trump said.
• Trump said there would be a new push to build roads, bridges, airports and other infrastructure.
• Trump wasted no time to go after the "dishonest media" and "fake news."
"They are part of the corrupt system," Trump said, only three minutes into his 46-minute speech.
He later said that "not one" television network would show the large crowd at the rally, and his supporters chanted to the media in attendance: "Tell the truth."
Near the end of his speech, Trump urged his opponents to "move past the differences of parties," and work to a common goal and to "share one glorious American plan."
The president used some familiar catch phrases in his speech like: "We are going to drain the swamp in Washington, D.C.," and, of course, "We are going to make America great again."
FULL COVERAGE: TRUMP IN MELBOURNE
Torres: Maybe this is how it's supposed to be
Trump rallies supporters in Melbourne
Large crowd of Trump protesters rallies outside airport
Trump told his audience that "we're going to start winning again, believe me. This will be change like never before."
Trump's arrival on Air Force One was a spectacle in itself, as the plane rolled to a stop in front of the hangar opening, and Donald and Melania Trump got off, with "Proud to Be an American" blaring through the speakers.
Melania Trump started her remarks by reciting The Lord's Prayer. She then complimented her husband's early work as president and said she would always "be truthful to you" and would work on projects to make "an impact on women and children all over the world."
Among the earlier speakers were Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi; U.S. Rep. Bill Posey, R-Rockledge; and Melbourne Mayor Kathy Meehan.
Bondi complimented the president of his efforts to "protect our borders" and for his Supreme Court nominee.
In the only comments during the evening about space — a key topic on Florida's Space Coast — Posey talked about the importance of "a robust space program" that is "important to the national defense."
Brevard County Republican Chairman Rick Lacey said Saturday morning's SpaceX scrub may have deterred Trump from touching on the topic.
"It probably wasn't the best subject to bring up today," he said after the event.
Posey said the nation's biggest issue is "jobs, jobs, jobs — good jobs." He called Trump the "jobs president," a good complement to Florida's "jobs governor," Rick Scott.
Meehan, in welcoming the crowd to the event, kept her comments fairly nonpolitical, in touting Melbourne as "truly a lovely place to raise a family" and complimenting airport officials for helping with the event logistics.
Many supporters identified little if anything they want Trump to do differently, and said they were happy with “everything” he’d accomplished so far.
“He’s just kept all of his promises,” Gamel said. It was a common sentiment.
Trump previously visited the Melbourne airport while on the campaign trail. In the end, Trump collected 181,620 votes out of Brevard, a heavily Republican county, to Hillary Clinton’s 119,525.
For some, Trump’s return to Brevard County highlighted his commitment to representing the Average Joe.
“He’s staying in touch with the people who aren’t the rich: the middle class. He’s supporting us,” said Toni Anderson from Melbourne.
Contact Berman at 321-242-3649 or dberman@floridatoday.com, on Twitter at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dave.berman.54.
Contact Glenn at caglenn@floridatoday.com or 321-576-5933, and follow her on Twitter @bycarolineglenn and like "Education at Florida Today" on Facebook.