Thousands of biking veterans from all across the nation met up in the District on Sunday and circled the National Mall for the 28th Rolling Thunder Run. At the Lincoln Memorial however small crowds gathered after a detailed security checkpoint waiting for the arrival of guest speaker and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
As the sound of mufflers roared throughout the mall in the afternoon, motorcycles of all shapes and sizes cruised from the Pentagon parking lot in Virginia all the way to the center of the District, the Capitol Building.
Later in the day after the motorcycle parade, veterans and other participants spent time to pay tribute to fallen American soldiers being honored on the mall. As the nominee arrived with Secret Service, he walked up to the podium and shook hands with the veterans on the stage.
Although Rolling Thunder spokeswoman Nancy Regg estimated that there were around 5,000 people in attendance for Sunday’s events, according to NBC News, there were likely just under 300 people admitted into the gated off region of the rally. While Trump talked about veterans issues and the importance of building a wall at the Mexican border, during his speech he also took time to criticize Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, claiming that he actually draws larger crowds than the Democratic Party candidate.
As Trump thanked his supporters for showing up, he left the stage with people screaming his name in support.
news@theeagleonline.com
