Businessman and 2016 Presidential candidate, Donald J. Trump, made a pit stop in Bloomington addressing over 3,000 Illinoisans on Sunday, March 13, 2016 at the Synergy Flight Center at Central Illinois Regional Airport. Approximately 400 of those individuals were protesters utilizing their first amendment right to revolt against the republican front runner; holding signs that said things such as “Love Trumps Hate”, “Dump Trump”, “Make America Hate Again” and “If you vote for Trump, there will be hell toupee.”

After the cancellation of Trump’s Chicago rally on Friday, March 11, many were concerned that the same wrath of violence would erupt during Sunday’s event. Despite predictions, there were no significant, physical, clashes; however verbal disturbances were rampant.

The Pantagraph reported: “Protesters interrupted the 45-minute address several times, prompting Trump to pause and shout for security to remove them. More than a dozen were escorted from the hangar before and during the speech, including a woman who stood above the crowd and tore up a Trump sign near the conclusion.”

The scene of removal resembled a high school pep rally, Trump would spat, “Get him out of here” and his supporters would go wild; chanting “Trump” and singing “Na Na Hey Hey Goodbye”.

The crowd behaved this way throughout the assembly, roaring the loudest when Trump discussed the building of “the wall”; climaxing when he promised to build the wall with Caterpillar products, rather than imported Japanese machinery. Following, Trump briefly blasted the Illinois government, blaming the establishment for the high number of large corporations that have moved their operations elsewhere. “We have nothing going (in Illinois),” he said. “You’re stuck here with high taxes, no job, a house that you can’t pay the mortgage on. … Even very successful people are being wiped out.”

The leading Republican then urged Illinois residents to stick around for two more years, for he will fix all of their problems. “Trump promised to help by bringing back American jobs, strengthening the military, fighting terrorism, taking care of veterans and defending Christianity. He repeated his claims that he won’t be affected by corporate lobbying,” the Pantagraph reported.

Outside of the hangar, protestors lined the streets, in the wind, rain and brisk temperatures. In attendance were several Normal West students. Junior Tanner Starr challenged Trump supporters, actually engaging in a civil debate with a Libertarian and a Tea Party member, one of which gave him a copy of the constitution. Contrarily, not every protester had a pleasant experience. Many of them were subject to spiteful racial slurs, stereotypes and judgements.

Normal West Alum Liam Freeman graduated in 2015 and is currently studying information systems at ISU and decided that Sunday’s rally would be a great opportunity to see his favorite candidate in his hometown. Freeman admires Trump’s immigration policy and thinks that the businessman will be able to create jobs in America.

David Schnobrich from Glenview, IL left his house at 4:00 am, arriving in town at 6:00 am for a rally scheduled at 10:00 am. When asked what brought him to Bloomington he giddily answered “Donald Trump!” Yet, even as an avid supporter, he struggled to respond to the counter argument that Trump has filed bankruptcy four times  and he is doubtful of the legitimacy of Trump’s claims: “half of the things he says won’t happen, but he’s going to be tough and you have to respect that.”

Schnobrich was also at the rally in Chicago, where he witnessed a stabbing five feet away from him and had to punch his way out of the riot. When asked if the stabbing victim was okay, Schnobrich said, “I don’t really care. It was really fun, and the protesting wasn’t too bad.”