DONALD TRUMP HELD a rally in Washington yesterday and complained that the crowds weren’t like those for Dr. Martin Luther King.
The motorcycle rally was part of the annual Rolling Thunder event and was organised for veterans as part of Memorial Day weekend.
Rolling Thunder spokeswoman Nancy Regg estimated Sunday’s event drew about 5,000 people — smaller than the crowds Trump typically attracts.
The large plaza between the Lincoln Memorial and the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall had large, empty pockets with no long lines for security, despite the thousands of bikers in town for the group’s ride from the Pentagon and through the streets of Washington.
Trump, who frequently boasts about his crowd size, however, claimed that 600,000 people were outside trying to get in.
“I thought this would be like Dr. Martin Luther King, where the people would be lined up from here all the way to the Washington monument, right? Unfortunately, they don’t allow ‘em to come in,” Trump complained as he finished up his speech.
Trump claimed that illegal immigrants are cared for better than the nation’s military veterans and unsubstantiated claim he has repeated during the campaign.
“Thousands of people are dying waiting in line to see a doctor. That is not going to happen anymore,” Trump said.
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The Rolling Thunder event is organised to draw attention to veterans’ issues and dedicated to remembering prisoners of war and service members missing in action.
“We’re with you 100%,” Trump told the crowd.
Trump, now the presumptive Republican nominee for president, angered veterans last year when he said he liked “people who weren’t captured” in wars. That had been a dig at former Republican candidate and Vietnam War POW John McCain.
Trump quickly tried to walk back the comment but has refused to apologise to McCain.
Many veterans groups were furious, but since then Trump has worked to try to repair the damage. He frequently honours veterans at his rallies, and he has come out with a plan to overhaul the Department of Veterans Affairs.
He also held a fundraiser for veterans’ causes in February but was criticised for not delivering on money he’d pledged.
- With reporting from Rónán Duffy
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