Donald Trump Virginia rally: Former president tries to woo southern state in campaign's final moments

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are working flat out with polls still showing race is tied

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Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump spent the final Saturday of his campaign in Virginia, speaking to a packed auditorium as he tries to flip the Democrat-leaning southern state into his win column.

“We win Virginia, we will win the whole thing without question,” he told the crowd in the 6,820-seat venue in the city of Salem. “It’s also possible without Virginia we could win the whole thing too.”

It was a tried and true Trump rally with no sign that his base of loyal supporters is abandoning him anytime soon. There was not a parking spot to be had near the Salem Civic Centre, nor was there a seat to be had inside the venue, as Mr Trump pointed out during his speech mentioning the overflow crowd outside the arena.

“There were five times as many people outside,” he exclaimed to more cheers.

He then pivoted to his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party.

“This election is a choice between four more years of incompetence and failure or four years of the greatest years in our country,” he said.

He also lamented what he described as a politically correct world run amok when introducing female speakers who briefly took the stage.

“You're not allowed to call women beautiful any more in politics, it ends your career,” he said inside the arena.

Outside the arena, merchandise vendors capitalised on the rally-goers enthusiasm, selling badges, shirts, stickers and hats.

“Don’t be a Democrat! Be sure to buy a Maga hat,” shouted one of the vendors, referring to Mr Trump’s ubiquitous “Make America Great Again” slogan.

Trump mugs were also in abundance, with one particular cup proclaiming: “liberal tears”.

Queues formed as early as 8am for Mr Trump’s speech, which started at 4pm.

Some in the crowd who waited in the sun and unseasonably warm temperatures collapsed, prompting medics to respond multiple times. Music played for those waiting outside, while some reflected on their affinity for Mr Trump.

“These idiots on the left will do anything, including try to assassinate him, to prevent him from getting in there,” said Monty Bowman, adding that he fears, based on his consumption of right-wing media, the threat of violence from Democratic voters.

“I’m a strong follower of Glenn Beck,” Mr Bowman said. “He has a TV and radio show, he says there’s definitely going to be violence after the election if Trump wins.”

Others standing among the thousands waiting to get inside the rally focused more on economic anxieties that they say have affected them since Mr Trump left office in 2020.

“My dollar had more power with him as president,” said rally attendee Fred Jentz. “Kamala wants more regulations on us, raise the taxes, I’m not looking for any of that.”

Also waiting in the overwhelmingly white crowd were a few black voters, like Ethan Coates, who said he wants to help clear up what he describes as misconceptions about Mr Trump.

“Don’t believe all the rhetoric that Trump is a racist [and] all these other put-downs liberals speak about. This is a guy who wants what’s best for America,” he said.

Unlike some at the rally, however, Mr Coates said he wouldn't question the legitimacy of the election if Kamala Harris emerges victorious.

“Sure,” he quickly said, when asked if he would trust the election results.

Mr Coates added that his main reason for supporting Mr Trump stemmed from his religious beliefs.

“I'm a born-again Christian and firm believer in the power of Christ,” he said.

Such supporters have helped make Mr Trump mostly resilient to scandals that would end the career of most politicians.

Yet with the Harris campaign ahead in most enthusiasm polls and flush with campaign cash as the election nears, it's far from certain if Trump's most ardent backers can secure a victory for him.

Several days before the event in Salem, Mr Trump held a lengthy rally at Madison Square Garden in New York, where several speakers created a stir with racist, xenophobic and misogynistic comments.

Among the speakers at the Salem rally was Virginia Governor Glenn Younkin, a Republican first elected in 2021.

“This Tuesday, we’re going to show the world that Virginia leads again,” he said, insisting that Mr Trump would defy the odds and win the state on election day.

In 2016, despite winning the electoral college, Mr Trump lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by about three million votes, something the former president told the Salem crowd that he would correct.

“I think we'll win the popular vote,” he said, before proceeding to accuse Democrats of cheating in the past.

Mr Trump’s remaining rallies before election day will see him focus on North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Michigan, which are widely considered to be critical to win.

Ms Harris will be spending her final days on the campaign trail in swing states as well, with a particular focus on Pennsylvania, before holding her final election day event at Howard University in Washington, in what her campaign hopes will be a victory celebration.