By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
On Friday, August 21, the GOP Presidential frontrunner, New York City businessman Donald Trump will be in Mobile for his first rally in the State of Alabama. The event is from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm on Friday night. The doors will open at the Mobile Civic Center at 5:30 pm.
Admission is free; but everyone older than three must have a printed ticket. To get tickets:
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/donald-j-trump-for-president-pep-rally-tickets-18212924347
The brash, real estate developer, showman, and reality TV star is polling at 24 to 28 percent of likely Republican Primary voters nationwide: more than double his closest competitor in the seventeen person field.
The fiery Trump is not your typical GOP candidate. He has never run for public office before and he has donated money to political candidates from both political parties, including Democratic Party frontrunner Secretary Hillary Clinton who even attended Trump’s wedding. Trump has been Pro-gun control and Pro-choice in the past but has since changed his views, stating that he has evolved on the issues. Trump has reportedly been a member of the Republican Party, the Democratic Party (as recently as 2009), the Reform Party, and an independent (as recently as 2012).
If elected, Trump will be by far the wealthiest man to ever hold our nation’s highest office and arguably the first billionaire. He would also be the oldest person elected narrowly surpassing Ronald Reagan when he was first elected. The 69 year old Trump is married to his third wife, a jewelry designer, retired fashion model and Slovenian immigrant: Melania Knauss (formerly Melanija Knavs) age 45. They have a nine year old son, Barron, together. Trump also has two sons and a daughter by his first wife, Ivana Zeinichova, and a daughter by second wife, actress Marla Maples. Mrs. Trump has been a naturalized US citizen since 2006. Trump is a Presbyterian who grew up in New York City.
Trump said recently of his GOP opponents, “Hey they can make fun of me if they want. They can belittle me if they want. They can badmouth me all they want, but they can’t change the facts. The truth is what it is –It’s they who made broken promise after broken promise. They have failed and continue to fail to stop the far left, communist wrecking ball that has almost killed the country. If you want American to be great again vote for me. I will make American great again. You want more political smoke blown up your ass? Vote for one of them.”
Over the weekend US Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama) waded into the presidential debate when he endorsed Trump’s immigration plan. Sen. Sessions said in a statement, “This is exactly the plan America needs…Not only would the plan outlined in this paper work, but more quickly than many realize…Most importantly, this plan reestablishes the principle that American’s immigration laws should serve the interests of its own citizens.”
Trump made waves early in the campaign by controversial comments drawing attention to the crimes that illegal aliens commit in the United States.
When Kathryn Steinle was gunned down in the street by a criminal illegal alien while taking a stroll down San Francisco’s popular Pier 14 area with her father, Trump drew national attention to the crime. The maniac gunned down Kathryn with a weapon he stole from a law enforcement officer’s vehicle. Kathryn’s killer was a criminal illegal alien who has five times been deported from this country for his felonious conduct. The death was made more tragic because the villain (who reportedly admitted the crime to authorities) should not have even been there. US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officers had asked the San Francisco authorities to hold the professional criminal for them. They did not do that because liberal San Francisco is a “sanctuary city” who thwarts federal immigration authority and releases criminal illegal aliens.
Donald Trump as evidence for his case that Latino gangs and other elements have brought across the American southern border. Trump said, “The US has become a dumping ground for everybody else’s problems.” “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people…It’s coming from more than Mexico. It’s coming from all over South and Latin America, and it’s coming probably from the Middle East.” Trump vowed, “I will make this country great again. Politicians aren’t going to do it, I can say with surety.”
The outspoken remarks cost Trump millions of dollars in business as business partners cut ties with the Trump companies for fear of upsetting Hispanic customers; but to this point it has been a winning strategy and Trump has been pulling away from the heavily crowded GOP field.
On Monday, August 17, Alabama Governor Robert Bentley (R) endorsed Ohio Governor and Republican Presidential contender John Kasich (R) in Birmingham for the Republican nomination for President of the United States.
Gov. Bentley said in a statement, “With his record as governor and his two decades on the House Armed Services Committee working with leaders like President Reagan to strengthen our military, end the Cold War and revamp the Pentagon, John Kasich is a leader whose readiness to lead our nation on his first day in the Oval Office is unmatched.”
Alabama has been a hotbed of presidential candidates this summer. In addition to Gov. Kasich, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum has been here; Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders (I) has made a stop here; Dr. Ben Carson has visited the State at least three times over the summer; Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has been here; and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R) will be in Talladega on Saturday, August 22 to address Alabama Republicans at their Summer Luncheon. Sen. Cruz will return to Alabama on August 25 when he will be the speaker at the Tuscaloosa County Republican Party’s event. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush will appear at a fundraiser in Birmingham on August 26
Republican Presidential candidates at this point include: Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, New Jersey businessman Donald Trump, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Doctor Ben Carson, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, former Texas Governor Rick Perry, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, former New York Governor George Pataki, California businesswoman Carly Fiorina, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, Ohio Governor John Kasich, and former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore.
The Alabama Presidential Primary is March 1.
(Wikipedia, Breitbart, Fox News, and CNN contributed to this report.)
