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President Donald Trump hosted a rally in Monroe, Louisiana on Wednesday night, November 6 for his 2020 campaign. The venue, which holds about 5,600 to 7,500 depending on the setup, was packed. Read on to learn more and see crowd photos and videos from the November 6 rally.
Thousands Attended the Packed Venue & Lined Up Hours in Advance
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The Monroe Civic Center’s Civic Center Arena has a seating capacity of about 5,600 (but sometimes it may be able to accommodate up to 7,200.) News Star says the capacity is expected to be set up for about 7,500 people for Trump’s rally, although in another story they said the capacity could be as high as 10,000. Meanwhile, KNOE says that the Monroe Civic Center officials told them the capacity was going to be just under 6,000. So the exact capacity is a bit of a mystery.
Whatever the capacity, it looks like most of the seats were full:
Here’s another photo of the packed arena.
Trump Rally…Monroe, LA. So many patriots in tha house!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸❤️
Reuters described the arena as “packed.” More than 40,000 had requested tickets to the event, News Star reported. People were already lining up Tuesday afternoon and more than a thousand were in line by Wednesday morning for a rally that wasn’t starting until that night.
Here’s the crowd an hour before the rally officially started.
President Trump rally in Monroe: one hour to go until tonight’s rally in support of GOP candidate Eddie Rispone.
An overflow space was set up outside with a large screen that would broadcast the rally for people who couldn’t be inside once the arena reached capacity. Thousands packed into the overflow space too, as you can see in the videos below.
Incredible …overflow crowd in Monroe,Louisiana..Every rally gets better an better -Trump 2020
Despite the loss in Kentucky, Trump promised that they would win in Louisiana.
Eddie Rispone is the Republican governor seeking the seat in the next election. The entrepreneur who’s facing off against Gov. John Bel Edwards on November 16 claimed in the rally that “Louisiana is Trump country.” Edwards is a Democrat but more conservative. As a Catholic, he signed a law banning abortion after 15 weeks. Ironically, Trump referred to Edwards as a “radical liberal Democrat” and said he was backed by pro-abortion lobbyists.
GettyEddie Rispone speaks.
Trump also talked about auto insurance rates in Lousiana and taxes.
During Trump’s rally in Monroe, Trump suggested people vote early on Saturday so they can focus on watching football later, when LSU and Alabama face off. “By the way, this Saturday I’m gonna be at a certain game,” Trump announced. The crowd chanted “LSU!” in response.
Trump said that both teams were great and it would be a good game to watch.
Trump also brought Rep. Ralph Abraham of District 5 onto the stage during the rally. Phil Robertson and Willie Robertson of Duck Dynasty also spoke.
Trump won Louisiana by 58 percent in the 2016 election.
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Mayor James E. Mayo said in a statement before the rally: “The City of Monroe is expecting high attendance for the Presidential visit at the Monroe Civic Center on Wednesday, November 6, 2019. We want all residents and businesses in the downtown area to expect road closures and traffic delays starting on the morning of November 6. Unfortunately, due to the heightened level of security, specific street closures and other details cannot be released to the public. We ask that attendees refrain from bringing large bags, purses, and containers to the Civic Center due to security protocols. Small clear purses are preferred (with minimum items such as keys, wallet, and/or medication only). Upon arrival at the civic center campus, attendees will be directed to designated parking areas by police.”
This was a Keep America Great rally, where Trump campaigned for Eddie Rispone, the Republican candidate for governor. Election day is November 16. The next rally is being held Thursday, November 14, 2019 at CenturyLink Center in Bossier City, Louisiana. That arena has a capacity of 15,000 and the rally starts at 7 p.m. Central.