Pence introduces Trump at rally that doubles as VP audition

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WESTFIELD, Indiana (AP) — Republican Donald Trump campaigned alongside Indiana Gov. Mike Pence on Tuesday evening, the latest in a series of public auditions as the billionaire businessman mulls his vice presidential pick.

Walking onto the stage to cheers, Pence confidently introduced the presumptive GOP nominee and vigorously advocated for Trump as the best person to lead the country. The speech made clear that despite his mild-mannered reputation, the governor and former Congressman could serve the role of attack dog if Trump taps him as his running mate.

"Donald Trump hears the voice of the American people," Pence said, saying that the billionaire "understands" the country in a way no one has since Republican icon Ronald Reagan. His voice raised, Pence drew thunderous applause when he warned of dire consequences if Democrat Hillary Clinton is elected.

Pence would be a welcome pick among anxious Republican officials who are looking for a steady, disciplined counterpart to Trump's freewheeling style. GOP officials are already starting to gather in Cleveland ahead of next week's national convention.

Taking the stage after Pence's introduction, Trump surveyed the large crowd packed into a new arena in suburban Indianapolis. "Wow," he declared before calling Indiana, which delivered him the nomination after he won the primary here in May, "a special place."

Trump opened by reading prepared remarks about shootings that have dominated headlines in recent days. He said his comments come "right from the heart." He was speaking hours after a memorial service for police officers slain in Texas.

"Our whole nation grieves and mourns for the loss of five heroes in Dallas," he said. He again referred to himself as "the law and order candidate." And he said "hostility against the police must end." He also touched on the deaths of men in Louisiana and Minnesota at the hands of officers. Video footage of those incidents has riveted the nation.

"It was tough to watch," he said. "We have to figure it out."

He questioned whether inadequate officer training or "something else" was responsible.

Late in the rally, he again spoke about Pence, playfully saying, "I don't know if he's going to be your governor" or join the Trump ticket. Trump is expected to his running mate this week. He and Pence also appeared together at a fundraiser earlier Tuesday.

Many in the crowd said they were hopeful Pence would be chosen by Trump.

Christina Lewellen, of Indianapolis, said Pence would have a calming effect because he "doesn't get caught up in the drama like Donald does."

"I think he'll be a restraining device," Lewellen said. "He's almost like a white Ben Carson ... which is excellent. He's calm, cool and collected."

A Democrat who'd come for the spectacle also said Hoosiers would be delighted to see Pence move on.

Dan Gettelfinger, of Indianapolis, summed up his feelings in two words: "Good riddance."

Associated Press writers Brian Slodysko in Westfield and Jill Colvin in Washington contributed to this report.

COMMENTS

Trump raises $51 million with GOP in June, including $26 million for his campaign

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Much of Donald Trump's fundraising haul in June appears to have come in the final 10 days of the month, after he began fundraising online in earnest. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Donald Trump raised more than $26 million for his campaign and another $25 million in conjunction with the Republican National Committee in June, a hefty haul that his campaign hopes will put to rest anxieties in the party about his fundraising prowess.

The combined $51 million falls short of the $68.5 million that presumptive Democratic contender Hillary Clinton and the Democratic party collected in June, which included $40.5 million she raised directly for her campaign. But it was the biggest monthly take by far for the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, who did not begin to hold fundraising events until late May. And it suggests that Trump has the ability to quickly inject large sums of money into his campaign coffers by tapping into the fervor of his supporters.

Much of the campaign's money appears to have come in during the final 10 days of the month, when Trump’s operation began aggressively soliciting money online for the first time. The Trump campaign announced Wednesday that more than 400,000 supporters made donations in June, with more than $3 million coming in just one day. That indicates that the billionaire will be able to post far larger totals in the coming months if he continues to actively urge his backers to give.

Trump also contributed $3.8 million personally last month, bringing his total donations to $55 million, his campaign said.

The campaign began its first real attempt to raise funds online in late June, after its most recent Federal Election Commission filing showed it brought in just $5.4 million in May, including a $2.2 million loan from the candidate. That paltry total -- and the fact that Trump began June with just $1.3 million in the bank --  astonished party leaders and fundraisers. They warned that the candidate’s fundraising deficit could hurt down-ticket Republicans counting on a well-funded RNC get-out-the-vote operation.

Trump responded to the criticism by first blaming party leaders for failing to rally around his candidacy and threatening to self-fund his bid, leaving the GOP to fend for itself.

But within days, his campaign began rolling out a series of emails asking supporters for donations. And the real estate tycoon announced that he wasconverting $50 million worth of loanshe made to his campaign into contributions, seeking to assuage fears that he would use donations to pay himself back.

The billionaire, who spent much of the GOP primary lambasting the donor class, is now also actively seeking high-dollar contributions. He held 22 fundraising events in conjunction with the RNC since late May, bringing in $25 million. Party fundraisers are finalizing a busy schedule of finance events for Trump, who is set to headline several events nearly every week through the end of the summer, according to a person familiar with the plans.

It remains to be seen whether the real estate tycoon can come close to matching Clinton’s fundraising totals — or whether he will need to. Trump has repeatedly scoffed at suggestions that he needs to adopt traditional political strategies, such as running costly television ads.

By the end of June, Clinton had raised about $288 million directly for her campaign and had more than $44 million in the bank. Trump brought in $89.5 million during the same period, including more than $50 million of his own money. It is unclear how much he had on hand going into July.

COMMENTS

Crowds of supporters, protesters growing as Trump returns to Texas for Dallas rally

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John Rhodes showed up at Gilley’s nightclub around 10 a.m. today, determined to not miss his chance to see Donald Trump for a third time.

The Red Oak man said he wants to be at tonight’s rally for Trump, the presumed Republican presidential nominee, to show his support.

“I think he’s what we need to turn this country around,” said Rhodes, who was at the front of the line of supporters waiting to hear Trump speak around 7 p.m.. “Our current administration has failed us in many ways.”

Rhodes is among thousands of North Texans — supporters and opponents alike — expected to swarm this popular nightclub to see the controversial New York billionaire and former reality TV star, who is bringing his road show back to the Metroplex.

This is Trump’s first political rally in Texas since becoming the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

His campaign has asked that people not bring “homemade signs, banners, professional cameras with a detachable lens, tripods, monopods, selfie sticks, back packs or large bags.”

While in town, Trump also is expected to attend a private fundraiser.

Anti-Trump protests are expected to kick off across the street from Gilley’s about an hour before Trump’s rally is to begin.

By 5 p.m., a few hundred Trump protesters had already gathered on either side of a 1,000-foot-long barricade outside Gilley's on Dallas' South Side.

Among them were Uzma Ali of Richardson and Maryellen Oltman of Plano, who said that so far they had only had one tense encounter with a Trump supporter.

"It was a woman wearing an American flag like a cape," Oltman said.

Ali added: "She said she was a Trump supporter then turned around and gave us the finger."

The group stood next to the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema next door to Gilley's with messages such as "More Love, less hate," and "Dump Trump's racist, sexist, homophobic, Islamophobic, xenophobic, toxic ideology."

The women were part of an effort dubbed "Code Pink."

And with Trump rallies drawing large crowds and violence, Dallas police, who have been ramping up security, are out in force.

Although he didn’t make it to Texas in time for the state’s Republican Party convention last month, Trump’s visit coincides with the Texas Democratic Party’s convention that runs through Saturday in San Antonio.

“Donald Trump's message to the Latino community is clear: You are not American,” said Julian Castro, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary. “In Trump's America, Latinos wouldn't be welcome, our LGBT brothers and sisters wouldn't be able to marry who they love, and Americans would be discriminated against because of their religion.

“As Trump visits Texas over the next few days, let it be clear that his hateful rhetoric is not welcome in our community. Let it be clear that we will raise our voices against him in November.”

When Trump leaves North Texas, he’s heading to private fundraisers in Houston and San Antonio, as well as to a public rally Friday night at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center near Houston.

After Texas, Trump will go to Las Vegas and Phoenix, according to his schedule.

Trump sent out an email to supporters Thursday afternoon, noting that he kicked off his campaign one year ago today.

“While I am thankful for the phenomenal success we have enjoyed in the past year, it is just the beginning!” his email read. “I could not be more thrilled to be your presumptive Republican Presidential Nominee and to officially accept the GOP Nomination at the Convention in July.

“We must continue to strive towards beating Crooked Hillary in November and Making ALL of America Great Again!”

Venue dilemma

Rhodes, who attended earlier Trump rallies in Dallas and Fort Worth, said he voted for Trump in the March Texas primary.

“Anything is better than Hillary,” he said. “We know what she’s going to do.”

He and others who waited in line for hours at Gilley’s, where a marquee sign read “Trump 2016, Make America Great Again,” almost didn’t get to see Trump.

The presidential candidate’s quest for a DFW venue became a last-minute drama because it initially appeared he might not find a place to hold a rally.

Officials with several local venues — from the Fort Worth Convention Center to the Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie to the Irving Convention Center — have said they didn’t have space or time to adequately ramp up security for such a high profile event.

Around noon Wednesday, Trump’s campaign announced that a public rally would be held at Gilley’s, a nightclub with a capacity of 3,600. This is the same site that hosted a political rally for then-Presidential candidate Ted Cruzbefore the March 1 primary election in Texas.

Dallas police closed some streets near Gilley’s because of the large crowds expected. They warned on Twitter that “delays can be expected in the area.”

Thursday’s rally was the first for Janet Evans, a 54-year-old Hurst woman who brought her 15-year-old and 28-year-old sons to the rally.

“I thought it would be a history-making thing,” she said. “Trump is a businessman, not a politician.

“It’s time to get somebody in (the White House) who knows how to run a huge business, a corporation,” she said. “Who hasn’t heard of Donald Trump?”

Protests/police

Protesters plan to turn out for a peaceful protest across the street from Gilley’s.

“Donald Trump can’t just come in to Dallas and think he’s going to be King Donald Trump,” said Carlos Quintanilla, president of the Dallas-based Accion America activist group who is helping lead the protest. “This needs to happen not only in Dallas, Texas, but ... anywhere Donald Trump goes ... (to protest) his hate and racism.”

Organizers asked people who are attending to wear white t-shirts and carry an American flag, but leave all wooden and metal poles, along with any weapons, at home.

Trump last spoke in Dallas in September before a crowd of around 15,000. In February, he held a rally in Fort Worth that drew thousands.

“We want a peaceful protest,” Quintanilla said. “We are mobilizing everyone. We are hoping to get thousands.”

Dallas police have been gearing up as well, training officers as recently as Wednesday on crowd management.

Officers had the opportunity to practice formations, as well as replace any equipment that has been broken or outgrown.

Trump last spoke in Dallas at theAmerican Airlines Center in September, drawing a crowd of around 15,000. In February, he held a rally in Fort Worth that drew thousands to the Fort Worth Convention Center days before the March 1 primary.

Staff writer Gordon Dickson contributed to this report.

COMMENTS

Sarah Palin Endorses Donald Trump, Rallying Conservatives

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Sarah Palin at an event in Des Moines last year.By MAGGIE HABERMANJanuary 19, 2016

Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and 2008 vice-presidential nominee who became a Tea Party sensation and a favorite of grass-roots conservatives, will endorse Donald J. Trump in Iowa on Tuesday, officials with his campaign confirmed. The endorsement provides Mr. Trump with a potentially significant boost just 13 days before the state’s caucuses.

“I’m proud to endorse Donald J. Trump for president,” Ms. Palin said in a statement provided by his campaign.

Her support is the highest-profile backing for a Republican contender so far.

“I am greatly honored to receive Sarah’s endorsement,” Mr. Trump said in a statement trumpeting Mrs. Palin’s decision. “She is a friend, and a high-quality person whom I have great respect for. I am proud to have her support.”

Mrs. Palin, who is to appear alongside Mr. Trump at a rally on the Iowa State University campus in Ames late Tuesday afternoon, could amplify the news media-circus aspects of Mr. Trump’s candidacy: Like him, she is a reality-TV star accustomed to playing to the cameras and often accused of emphasizing flash over substance.

But Mrs. Palin, who despite her waning visibility within the Republican Party retains a sizable following, provides Mr. Trump with valuable new currency at a moment when he is being attacked over his conservative bona fides by Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, with whom Mr. Trump is neck-and-neck in the Iowa polls.

As Mr. Trump fends off questions about his “New York values” from Mr. Cruz, Mrs. Palin could help vouch for Mr. Trump’s credentials with skeptical conservatives.

What’s more, while Mr. Trump has already shown the ability to garner wall-to-wall cable-news coverage, Mrs. Palin’s active involvement in his campaign could help him deprive Mr. Cruz of vital attention in the homestretch to the Feb. 1 caucuses.

The two are not strangers. Mrs. Palin, Mr. Trump and his wife, Melania, shared a pizza in New York in June 2011, when Mrs. Palin was considering a presidential run of her own and was making a bus tour around the country. (Mr. Trump was mocked at the time for using a knife and fork on his slice.)

They also share a trusted operative: Mr. Trump’s national political director, Michael Glassner, was chief of staff to Mrs. Palin’s political action committee.

And like Mr. Trump, Mrs. Palin has maverick tendencies. The mantra of her final weeks of the 2008 campaign was “going rogue,” as she defied instructions from aides to Senator John McCain of Arizona, the party’s presidential nominee.

Little-known before Mr. McCain picked her as his running mate, Mrs. Palin ultimately eclipsed Mr. McCain in popularity. She has endured as a coveted endorser with an impressive fund-raising list.

Mrs. Palin endorsed several of Mr. Trump’s Republican rivals in their statewide races, including Mr. Cruz in Texas and Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky. Mr. Cruz, after his 2012 primary victory over the incumbent lieutenant governor, David Dewhurst, said he would not have made it to the Senate without Mrs. Palin’s backing.

COMMENTS

ROCK STAR TRUMP - Massachusetts rally is absolutely mind-boggling

This crowd shot from Donald Trump’s Massachusetts rally is absolutely mind-boggling

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Donald Trump went to Lowell, Massachusetts -- a town about 30 miles south of the New Hampshire border -- for one of his now trademark big-arena rallies on Monday night. This is what the crowd looked like per WaPo's Jenna Johnson.

The building -- named after the late Massachusetts Sen. Paul Tsongas (D) -- holds 8,000 people and local officials were estimating that it was filled to capacity or beyond. That is a MASSIVE amount of people -- especially considering that the high temperature in Lowell yesterday was 29 degrees and Trump's rally didn't start until the evening.

This is what the line to get in looked like.

I know that crowd size is an uncertain indicator in politics. After all, if crowd size at rallies was determinative Bernie Sanders not Hillary Clinton would be the heavy favorite to be the Democratic presidential nominee.  That skepticism of crowd size goes double for Trump since there are plenty of people who go to see him simply for the spectacle or to be near a celebrity, not because they have any designs on voting for him.

And yet, the willingness of so many people to wait so long in such cold temperatures simply for the chance to see Trump speak would suggest that the idea that his supporters won't be the sort of people to sit through the long caucus process of Iowa or turn out to vote in the frigid cold of New Hampshire might be misguided.

Ditto the idea that Trump's bubble would burst or the ardor with which his backers regard him would fade. The Iowa caucuses are in 27 days. New Hampshire votes in 35 days.  The time is now -- and people are still showing up in droves to see -- and cheer -- Trump.

Crowds like the one in Lowell on Monday should make clear to the last few lingering doubters that the Trump phenomenon isn't going away as voters begin the process of picking a Republican presidential nominee. Hell, he might even be getting stronger

Hilton Head, SC 30 DEC 2015 - TRUMP BLASTS HILARY AND MEDIA [VIDEO]

During the Rally at Hilton Head, South Carolina Donald J. Trump told a packed, record breaking size room that he had to put Hilary on blast and that America is "Fed Up" with the corruption of the system and everyone is "Fed Up" with "You Guys the Media they are the Worst", as he points to the news media.

Calling Out the Corrupt Media

Program ID:

402610-101

Category:

Public Affairs Event

Format:

Forum

Location:

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, United States

First Aired:

Dec 30, 2015

Airing Details

• Dec 30, 2015 | 11:04am EST | C-SPAN 1