On Saturday, Trump supporters rallied across the nation to show their continued support for President Trump. One such event was held in Washington, D.C., in the shadow of the Washington Monument. While the events got some coverage on their own, here are a few things about the march you won't find reported on your evening news -- some of which may really surprise you.
1. The march was bigger than the media reported.
The media reported that the event only drew "nearly a hundred people," but March4Trump organizers put the number closer to 1,000, while a local student newspaper claims 400. Watch our original video from the ground and decide for yourself.
Heres your crowd shot #dc voted 97% Hillary Crowd included #gay4trump, immigrants for Trump, blacks, white, Asian, DC natives #march4trump pic.twitter.com/y9JKpUDpUA
— Liam Clancy (@lclancy17) March 5, 2017
2. Patriotism was on full display.
Singer Joy Villa, famous for wearing a Make America Great Again dress to the Grammys, was the keynote speaker of the event, and led the crowd in singing "America the Beautiful" prior to her speech.
.@Joy_Villa leads America the Beautiful at DC #march4trump pic.twitter.com/x9byk0J04Q
— Liam Clancy (@lclancy17) March 4, 2017
3. March attendees were very diverse.
The media have tried to minimize minority support for President Trump, but the D.C. March for Trump was much more diverse than the media would ever mention. For example, you may not know that the rally was primarily organized by Peter Boykin and the D.C.-area "Gays for Trump."
Signs reading "Latinos 4 Trump," "Immigrants 4 Trump," and "Blacks 4 Trump" were commonplace, and a black, gay Trump supporter gave one of the most popular speeches of the day.
Amazing speech by gay black Trump supporter from DC at #March4Trump. Liberal media will NEVER show this so let's get it viral! #maga pic.twitter.com/O6u8Cw7tjG
— Liam Clancy (@lclancy17) March 4, 2017
4. A wide array of issues were represented.
Trump supporters at the D.C. March for Trump came out not only in support for President Trump, but for a number of other diverse causes as well.
Two men called on Trump to end the genocide of Arab Christians in the Middle East, while the other side of their sign called for an end to the opioid epidemic. Taiwanese Americans came out in support for Trump's stance on China, and an immigrant from France expressed hope for a rise of Euroscepticism with Trump's presidency.
5. Radical leftists tried to disrupt the peaceful event.
A small number of anti-Trump protesters were on the scene, including some members of the radical-left "antifa" (short for "anti-facist") movement. U.S. Park Police as well as other D.C. area law enforcement separated the left-wing agitators from the Trump supporters.
Anti-Trump protestors mocked police with taunts of "get those animals off those horses," while pro-Trump demonstrators responded with chants supporting law enforcement.
One man who identified himself as a Vietnam veteran, told one activist, "I fought you in Vietnam and I'll fight you here." Check it out:
Vietnam vet to commie #antifa at DC #march4Trump "I fought you in Vietnam and I'll fight you here" #maga @Veteran4Trump pic.twitter.com/FeHBjv3IsH
— Liam Clancy (@lclancy17) March 6, 2017
During the march, one woman was pushed to the ground by an anti-Trump demonstrator, the aftermath of which can be seen here.
While the D.C. March was relatively peaceful, some Trump events around the country escalated into violence. In Berekely, Trump supporters were beaten and a 72-year-old man was pepper-sprayed. Ten were arrested, including both anti-Trump and pro-Trump demonstrators.
In St. Paul, Minn., five anti-Trump demonstrators were arrested on felony riot charges, and one was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct.
In D.C., a city which voted overwhelmingly for Hillary Clinton, a wide range of conservatives and supporters of Trump were able to march and peacefully assemble with minimal pushback. While not every rally around the country was as peaceful, it was fascinating to observe a diverse group of citizens in a city you might not expect let their voices be heard.