Conservatives celebrate 'positivity' at 'TRUMP-A-PALOOZA'
Nick Haseloff | The Transylvania Times
Event-goers had the opportunity to take their picture in front of cardboard cutouts of President Trump and the first lady at the Transylvania County GOP’s “TRUMP-A-PALOOZA 2025.”
More than 50 conservatives gathered in front of the Transylvania County Courthouse Saturday to combat recent “negative” protests which have occurred in Brevard and to bring forward “patriotism” and “love” at the Transylvania County GOP’s “TRUMP-A-PALOOZA 2025.”
Participants at the president-praising event donned American-flag apparel and MAGA merchandise and celebrated President Donald Trump with a look-alike contest; Trump trivia; a card signing; and a dance party to the Village People’s “YMCA.”
“We have seen a lot of events down here that seem to be negative,” Transylvania GOP Chair Herschel Johnson said. “What we want to do is just bring something down here that’s patriotic. Just talk about love. Not run down anybody. Show our love for America and what the president has been doing.”
Participants were invited to sign a giant “thank you” card to the president which organizers said they would send off to the White House.
Ellie Mercer, a Brevard resident, signed the card with “God Bless You” and said she came to the event to join like-minded people.
“I’m a Trump supporter, I voted for Trump,” Mercer said. “I pray for him. I am behind him. I am frightened for him. I am glad to see so many others because we hear a lot of negativity about Trump. An awful lot of negative — and a lot of hateful speech. Well this is not a hateful celebration. It’s a positive celebration.”
At 20 years old, Alex Rivera was one of the youngest Trump supporters at the event. He said he is not like many of his peers who have differing ideas.
“Honestly with my generation, I feel like we get sucked into things quite easily — perhaps easily manipulated,” he said. “I just admire the determination. When everyone turns against you and makes you feel like you’re not of the right mind — just to keep fighting and believe in yourself. I feel like that’s what this is all about. I’m proud to be the youngest person here.”
Cardboard cutouts of Donald Trump, Melania Trump and Elon Musk were propped up along the courthouse wall so participants could take pictures with their conservative idols. One of the Trump cutouts was adorned with a golden paper crown in response to the “No Kings” rallies held across the country last weekend.
Several GOP leaders and activists from across the region spoke to the crowd about all of Trump’s accomplishments since he took office in January. Former Buncombe County GOP leader Doug Brown; Blue Ridge Young Republicans Chair Tae Brown; and former 11th Congressional District GOP chair Michele Woodhouse were some of the speakers.
Much of their rhetoric centered around hot-button cultural and political ideologies such as immigration, federal spending and gender identity, often mixing in praises of Trump’s policies with disparaging language about their rival party.
“It’s about the difference between a party that says there are two genders and a party that each and every day decides there’s 22 or 47 or 105,” Woodhouse said during her speech to the crowd at the event. “They want to take over our country. They start with the destruction of our family and they take our children. That’s what the Democrats are doing.”
Bookending the speeches, participants cheered and chanted “MAGA” along with the emcee; answered numerous trivia questions about Trump and booed any time former President Joe Biden or Gov. Josh Stein were mentioned.
Johnson said the TCGOP had been working to organize the event for six weeks and were surprised at how many people attended.
He said the party would like to hold the event yearly to continue to celebrate the president’s deeds.
