(Update: The Cape Coral Republican Club Facebook page says 200 people attended the rally.)
A group of President Donald Trump's supporters rallied in Southwest Florida Saturday to voice their approval of his first month in office. The men, women and children hoisted signs and cheered at passersby for two hours.
Cape Coral woke up a bit earlier than other cities on the March4Trump set list on Saturday, as it hosted one of the 10:00 a.m. East Coast rallies, which was followed by others throughout the day.
Members of the Cape Coral Republican Club made up the majority of the several dozen rally goers that lined Cape Coral Parkway. The group held signs — both official election banners and handmade posters — and cheered at oncoming traffic as car after car passed, honking and cheering in support.
Not everyone was supportive, however. One car drove past and U-turned just to pass once more and repeat, "Get over it!" at the crowd.
Chris Cammarota, holding his American flag by its pole in one hand and his megaphone in the other, shouted back both times, "Suck it up, buttercup!"
"I just try to help out — whatever I can — and support the president," Cammarota said. "He's our president. He's your president. He's everybody's president. We can't be going against him at this time of need for the country. The country comes first, not anybody's feelings."
Cammarota said he came out, his Republican Party affiliation aside, to support the president.
"He needs our help," Cammarota said. "Washington's not helping him. The establishment's against him. Half the Republicans are against him. The Democrats hate him. The only thing he's got is the American people."
Across the street from Cammarota's spot on the median were two women holding up signs that read "Latinos for Trump!" and "Hillary sold uranium to Russia. Investigate!"
The Latina, IleanaPiera, said she was registered Independent until this election when she re-registered Republican to vote for Trump in the primaries.
"My entire family voted for Trump,” said Piera. “We came to this country legally, and we're all, you know, second-third generation Cubans that voted and support Trump."
Following Trump's proposed plan to citizenship last Tuesday, Piera and Cammarota both said they would support an expedited route to legal status for undocumented Americans.
"If you're here to make an honest buck and you're paying your taxes, I have nothing against you at all," Cammarota said. "Just do it legally like everybody else, just like my grandparents. My wife's parents did the same thing. They came her legally. That's not asking too much."
Piera's companion, Rosangela Deazevedo is originally from Brazil. She said as an immigrant who came here legally, she likes Trump's stance on immigration.
"President Trump has already made it clear that he is the president of America," Deazevedo said. "Americans are his first concern, and this is how it should be. We are a free country. We are not supposed to be on our knees for United Nations' tyrannical rules. We are America. We are to lead. We are free."
Members of the Cape Coral Republican Club said it would like the March4Trump to become a monthly occurrence, if not nationwide, than at least locally.
