Last Saturday we had the privilege of attending the “yuge” rally in St. Cloud for President Donald Trump thanks in large part to friends who arranged a couple tickets to squeeze us in.

Arriving at around 11:30 a.m., Nancy and I were astounded and thrilled at the swarms of people gathered along the boardwalk as they waited patiently in line for the rally. Some vendors with mobile “booths” surfed the crowds to peddle their red, white and blue hats, shirts, buttons and banners. Just outside the arena, dozens more booths were set up with merchandise spilling over the edges of tables featuring the likeness and battle cry of 45.

Parking was a cinch as we found a side street just a few blocks from the event and waltzed our way to the venue. Security was tight (as expected) as we viewed dozens of sheriff deputies and local cops manning the streets.

We had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with Blake Paulson’s mom, Gwen, as we checked in and received special wrist bands for entrance. Blake, 24, a former graduate of Becker High School, is Trump’s state director and was in charge of organizing and conducting the rally that was held at the Herb Brooks Hockey Arena. We also ran into State Rep. Shane Mekeland as he and Sen. Andrew Mathews waited out the heat under a canopy of trees as they waited along with the crowd to enter the venue.

Nancy, unfortunately, yielded to the dreadful heat and humidity as she began to feel faint and became bilious from the insufferable temperatures. True to form, numerous Trumpsters came to her aid offering a chair to sit on, bottles of cool water and an umbrella to sit under. Eventually medics arrived, assessed her situation and encouraged her to remain seated and in the shade while staying hydrated.

When the doors finally opened and we gained access to the arena, the rush of cool air from the air conditioning was a welcoming sensation. Nancy was able to recover quite quickly and we were escorted to our seats that were situated just to right of the stage. We suddenly realized that with these quality seats, we were going to be just mere feet away from where Trump and all his speakers would enter and depart.

For those of you who watched the video replay of the event (which I did also), you did not get the full effect of what this rally felt like. The audio on the TV broadcast was great for hearing the speakers but it failed to capture the raucous cacophony felt inside that 8,000+ seat venue. Roars erupted constantly from the rally-goers as they chanted, “USA, USA, USA” and “FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT” throughout the speeches.

Trump noted when he got up to speak that he was amazed at the turnout — especially the rally-goers who failed to gain a seat in the hockey arena — who stayed outside the event and watched the demonstration on a giant screen outside. It was estimated there were 25,000+ people gathered outside under the blistering blue skies to be a part of the “movement” as Trump would describe.

Trump arrived in Minnesota following two other events he attended in different states of the union that same day.  Despite the  anguished schedule, DJT stood and spoke for nearly two hours describing his structured plan to bring America back to its feet from the current failed administration. Thirty thousand plus Minnesotans are evidence his message is being well-received.

Needless to say, this get-together was YUGE-ly successful!