Democrats Hold 'Defeat Trump' Rally Outside BB&T Center Before President's Event
SUNRISE (CBSMiami) - President Donald Trump's "Homecoming Rally" at the BB&T Center in Sunrise wasn't the only rally at the venue.
With nearly 600,000 registered Democratic voters in Boward, they outnumber registered Republicans in the county by more than two to one.
Democrats welcomed Trump to Florida with the Baby Trump Balloon and a rally to "Defeat Trump."
"You have been a crook all your life. You have been stealing from the poor. You have been robbing union workers," said protester Mitchell Scollberg. "Go to jail, get it over with."
So what motivated voters and citizens to take a day off from work or interrupt retirement to trek to a Trump event and protest?
"We have three years of catastrophic policies at every level – social and environmental," said Alessandra Mondolfi. "I firmly believe if we sit back and wait for 2020 we are completely doomed."
Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Florida Democratic Party Chair Terrie Rizzo led the rally with South Florida Democratic leaders and activists.
"Florida is tired of being hurt by his broken promises," said Rizzo in a statement. "This isn't a homecoming rally, this is a retirement party."
Broward Democrats have been hitting the streets to get out the vote and say they have seen an increase in volunteers who want to see a new Commander-in-Chief.
"We came so close on so many races. I think we felt like we let it slip by. So, I think a lot of people are coming to volunteer because they don't want to take this next election for granted," said Cynthia Busch, Broward Democratic Party Chair.
Wasserman Schultz weighed in to fire up the crowd.
"In a year from now we will make it very clear how Florida and how Broward County feels about Donald Trump and what he has done to our country," she said.
President Trump called Tuesday's event his "Homecoming Rally" because he recently changed his state of residence to Florida and registered to vote here.
Trump won Florida in 2016. He's got to do it again, and that's what stirs the passion of the opposition. These folks are hot for impeachment, but they know the realities.
"I think voting him out is what we really need to do," said Jennifer Leslie. "We can do both."