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By Eliza Noe | eliza.noe@virginiamedia.com | Staff writer and Katie King | katie.king@virginiamedia.com | Staff writer
PUBLISHED: June 28, 2024 at 1:03 p.m. | UPDATED: June 28, 2024 at 2:43 p.m.
Former President Donald Trump is set to speak at a campaign rally before a crowd of thousands Friday in Chesapeake, the day after sparring with President Joe Biden in the first presidential debate of the 2024 campaign season.
In a bid to help flip Virginia red, Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin appeared publicly with Trump for the first time at the event.
Youngkin took to the stage around 2:20 p.m. to welcome Trump to Virginia.
“This is about strength versus weakness. We have seen the weak America Joe Biden created and we all lived through the strong America Donald Trump built,” Youngkin said.
The rally, at Historic Greenbrier Farms located just off the Chesapeake Expressway, drew thousands of supporters, many of whom started lining up for hours beforehand. Gates opened at 11 a.m. and speakers took to the stage around 2 p.m., among them former Gov. Bob McDonnell and Senate GOP candidate Hung Cao.
Traffic was snarled as supporters made their way onto the 500-acre farm. By mid-day, southbound traffic on the Chesapeake Expressway was backed up just over 4 miles, past the Hanbury Road East interchange, according to Google Maps and 511 Virginia’s live traffic data. Vehicles were slowed to a crawl along the backroads around the farm as supporters continued to make their way to the event. Many people were walking or biking alongside the road as traffic came to a standstill.
https://www.dailypress.com/2024/06/28/thousands-gather-for-trump-rally-at-chesapeake-farm/