ROCHESTER - President Trump on Sunday promised a packed Rochester Opera House crowd that energy prices in New Hampshire will be cut in half within a year of his taking office.
After a thundering ovation and cheers, he added, "And the minute I take my hand off the Bible, I will seal the border and start an energy revolution: drill, drill, drill."
The former president also said he would end all DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) policies, eliminate the ability for men to play in women's sports and stop the transition to digital banking sought by the Biden administrations.
Paul Murphy, right, and Gary Connors, both of Lee, check out a vendor's table set up near the former Ben Franklin store on Wakefield Street. Stephen Quick, left, said he's been selling Trump swag wherever the former president speaks for two years. |
He also said once he becomes president he will have Ice deportations begin immediately for those who entered the United States illegally.
"No one has done more damage to this country than Joe Biden," he said. "If you lined up the 10 worst presidents, they didn't do as much damage as Joe Biden."
The crowd began forming in front of the Rochester Opera House around noon and continued grew throughout the afternoon to more than a thousand, well over ROH's 700-seat capacity.
Trump said he was thrilled with the turnout but saddened that so many were unable to get in.
Scores of media outlets, international, national and regional, were on hand for the event.
One Germany-based television station asked if they thought Ukraine should continue to get money from the Biden administration.
A Rochester man who didn't give his name told the reporter from Germany that "Ukraine is the most corrupt country in the world. They shouldn't get another penny."
Many in the crowd told The Rochester Voice that they had just gone to Trump's campaign event in Manchester on Saturday night and were looking forward to seeing him in such an intimate setting as the Opera House.
All along the sidewalks near the site of the former Ben Franklin store and along Wakefield Street near City Hall vendors hawked Trump sweatshirts, jerseys, hats and other swag,
Across the street from the Opera House a truck featured anti-Trump videos and rhetoric on a screen, while up in the sky a small plane flew back and forth carrying behind it the enigmatic message. "Melania Knows."
"What does that mean," several members in the crowd wondered aloud.
Meanwhile, later inside the Opera House an energized Trump spoke for nearly two hours, poking fun at Biden and his son, Hunter, saying at one point, "He gets $500,000 for a painting where he just splashes some paint on it. What do you think they'd say if Don Jr. did that?!" eliciting cheers and jeers from the crowd.
Trump said that if he weren't the odds-on favorite to be the 47th president, he would never have been indicted.
"Biden's DOJ is being weaponized against me," he said.
Trump took time out to recognize several local party leaders, including Rochester Regional Republican Committee Chair Carlton Cooper, state GOP Vice Chair Ryan Terrell, Lou Gargiulo, a state rep and supporter of veterans; and former 2016 Trump campaign chief Corey Lewandowski.
Other promises Trump made if elected included making the Trump-era tax cuts permanent, ending the war in Ukraine, eliminate vaccine and mask mandates, stop the teaching of CRT and end the push toward central banking.
He also said he would move toward elections that would be determined by paper ballots and one-day voting and would "demolish the deep state."
To view a YouTube video of the event click here