Behind a rubber face mask of former President Donald Trump was Macon-Bibb County Republican Party Chair David Sumrall on the side of a highway Monday morning.
Members of the Bibb County GOP kicked off a day-long series of rallies at 7 a.m. in response to the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on Saturday.
Sumrall stood with five local Trump supporters and his Trump-themed trailer parked in front of a Marathon gas station on Eisenhower Parkway and North Lizella Road.
“We’ve waved flags for campaigns, but never anything like this,” Sumrall said. “There is never a place for political violence.”
It was the first time the chair organized a public flag-waving demonstration. He plans to haul his trailer to 10 other locations across the county until 6 p.m. in “high traffic areas.”
Most motorists beeped and gave thumbs ups in support of the group. One driver yelled a slur and another stuck up a middle finger.
The group displayed a cardboard cutout of Donald and Melania Trump holding hands, “Trump Nation” flags, American flags, “defend freedom” yard signs, and a table of Trump merchandise for sale.
It coincidentally coincided with the first day of the Republican National Convention, but this was not the reason for the rally, Sumrall said.
The local GOP announced the event on Facebook Monday morning.
Sumrall figured people would pull over to the side of the road and join in.
Ken Wall, a Lizella resident and Trump supporter, stopped by on his American flag-baring golf cart. He stayed for 10 minutes before he had to go babysit his grandchildren.
“It was just inexcusable,” Wall said, regarding the shooting which injured Trump’s ear.
Wall blamed “rhetoric” from President Joe Biden.
Both Biden and Trump have condemned political violence and called for unity since the shooting occurred.
“I’m just a big Trump supporter and I’m tired of all the ways the Democrats are trying to run this country,” Wall said. “We got to take it back. We got to make America great again.”
Another attendee, Pat Bradley, wore a “women for Trump’‘ hat, and manned the merchandise table. She volunteers at the local GOP office.
“I don’t have the money to give, but I got plenty of time,” Bradley said. “So I’ll do that wherever they ask me to be.”
She watched news coverage of the shooting unfold with her mother when it happened.
“I was horrified… Like oh my God, I can’t believe this is happening. Everything went into slow motion, waiting for him to get back up there.”
This story comes to GPB through a reporting partnership with The Telegraph.
