WASHINGTON, D.C. – Donald Trump supporters descended on the National Mall last Saturday for a political rally whose purpose was to “peacefully unite in honor of America.” The rally in question, called The Mother of All Rallies or M.O.A.R, was meant to be the “Woodstock of American Rallies” as promoted on the event’s now-disabled website and was anticipated by organizers to be larger than the actual outcome.
With a set goal of one million attendants, less than 1,000 people attended.
“The reason you guys came out here today is because you know there’s something not right,” Joey Gibson, one of the speakers for M.O.A.R., said. “You know there’s things going on in this country that we got to fix.”
Named after the 22,000-pound “mother of all bombs” dropped on ISIS forces in Afghanistan by the U.S. military, M.O.A.R was held at the southernmost end of the Mall across the Washington Monument. Featured keynote speakers included Omar Navarro, a politician who ran for California’s 43rd Congressional District against Rep. Maxine Waters; Marco Gutierrez, founder of the Latinos for Trump group; Hamody Jasim, a former Iraqi serviceman who wrote a memoir detailing his service fighting alongside U.S. military; Peter Boykin, the founder and president of the Gays For Trump group, and other speakers.
Attendants were encouraged throughout the event to speak on stage if they so desired, including a man who used his chance to pitch his bid for governor of Florida in 2018, and another man who did the same only he was pitching his bid for Mississippi’s 4th Congressional District. Groups such as Bikers for Trump, who also sponsored M.O.A.R, an alt-right group called The Proud Boys, and The Trump Unity Bridge, a float festooned with patriotic messages driven around the country for pro-Trump events, were also present. The float was secured next to the stage and welcomed all manner of poses and photographs by attendees.
The main organizer of M.O.A.R was Tommy E. Hodges Jr., also known as “Tommy Gunn”, but better known as “The Pissed-Off American” for his right-leaning video rants on the Internet. Despite the display of the Trump Unity Bridge, as well as chants in support of Trump not including the pro-Trump signs and shirts worn by attendants, Hodges insisted the rally “wasn’t for Trump,” as recorded on video by reporters.
Americans from all over came for the rally as word spread on Facebook and other corners of the web. In the case of Donna Byers, a financial reporter from Jacksonville, Fla., she drove all the way up to D.C. just for the rally.
“I supported Bush, I voted for Romney because I was against Obama,” Byers said, “but Trump is amazing—he gives me goosebumps. This is Trump world and I’m excited about that.” Of the changes she wants to see under Trump’s lead, Byers wants him “to build the wall” the most she said, referring to a border wall proposed by the incumbent president placed between the U.S. and Mexico.
Rick McGee, an ex-law enforcement officer and member of Bikers for Trump, came with one of many entourages of the group. Bikers for Trump, a roughly 6,000-member volunteer organization of motorcyclists from all over the county, acted as security for M.O.A.R. aside from being a sponsor.
“We go to different rallies and try to help keep the peace,” said McGee, who came from Canton, Ohio. “We assist law enforcement if things get overwhelmed.” Like Byers, McGee said he wants Trump to build the wall, but is more preoccupied with the president repealing Obamacare and replacing it with a better plan.
Despite the enthusiastic, if not underwhelming, turnout of people, M.O.A.R had its share of protesters. Antifa members arrived later in the afternoon, and a self-professed Black Lives Matter member was escorted out of the rally for an altercation with supporters. Nick Puglise, a 27-year-old school employee from D.C., was a protester with no affiliation to either side and co-opted a sense of cordialness when arguing with attendants.
“I so vehemently disagree with what he [Trump] is doing to our country that I want to be out there,” Puglise said. “Also, I find I actually really enjoy a lot of my interactions talking to people.”
Besides the low turnout and one removed protester, no further incident occurred for the duration of the rally.