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Trump Campers Arrive Early To Phoenix Rally For Prime Seats And Camaraderie

Blake Marnell spent Monday driving from his home in San Diego to Phoenix.

Early Tuesday morning, he was back in his car scoping out the Arizona State Fairgrounds, where President Donald Trump is scheduled to hold a rally Wednesday evening.

“I just kind’ve waited in my car for one other person to show up,” Marnell said. “It just happened to be Mario, who I met at a rally in Albuquerque, so then we had two people. That’s when the line started.”

That was shortly before 8 a.m., roughly 35 hours before the president is scheduled to speak to supporters at Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Mario Estrada, a fellow Californian, was first in line, beating Marnell by a mere 10 minutes. A Phoenix rally is advantageous for a Trump supporter from California, a state not considered friendly to the president.

“This is my second Trump rally. I came because I like to flex my First Amendment, which is my freedom of expression,” Estrada said. “I wear braids in my hair, heels on my feet. I’m as ostentatious as I am personable, and I like to flex that.”

Estrada and Marnell said they also come for the camaraderie. Seeing Trump speak is great, but so is spending a day or more camped on a sidewalk with fellow Trump supporters.

It makes camping overnight on Phoenix streets worth it, Estrada said.

“We’ve become like a family, and this camaraderie is worth everything. Every travel time, that’s what it’s all about, and it shows the best in America,” he said.

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Ben Giles is a senior editor at KJZZ.