BUTLER — They are known for wearing bright red and showing unwavering allegiance to Donald Trump.
The true supporters who are showing up to his hours-long rallies are everyday Americans, convinced that freedom and the future of America are at stake if the former Republican president doesn't win the razor-thin race to the White House.
"The people who are in the middle class, the blue-collar workers and the people who just want what's best for America, especially veterans, I feel like that's what a Trump supporter is," said Stevie Oberhofer.
The 16-year-old girl was among thousands of Trump supporters who stood in line for hours to attend a rally in Butler, Penn. earlier this month when the former president returned for the first time since he survived an assassination attempt. Trump was grazed in the right ear and one supporter was killed when a gunman opened fire in July.
The photo depicting Trump, with blood streaked across his face and a fist in the air, became central to his campaign and has convinced many of his supporters that the Make America Great Again movement has divine influence.
"The MAGA movement is being led by the Holy Spirit, being led by God who gave (Trump) that miracle," said Sean Moon, wearing a shimmering gold Make America Great Again hat.
Moon is a controversial figure among Republicans. The pastor's father founded the Unification Church, a controversial religious sect. Moon has since started his own radical offshoot and the Southern Poverty Law Centre has called him an "anti-LGBT cult leader."
Not all Americans agree that there is spiritual intervention behind the Republican leader. Many are perplexed about the unrelenting support the former president continues to receive, despite multiple controversies, felony convictions and his refusal to accept the results of the 2020 election.
The country's two major parties are in a dead heat. About half of registered voters, 49 per cent, lean toward the Democratic party, while 48 per cent lean Republican, according to the Pew Research Center.
Since Trump rode down the escalator to announce his run for president, there's been broadly held sense of who makes up his voter base: White, middle-aged men who come from more rural areas.
To some extent that rings true, but demographics have shifted.
Jeremy Washington said what makes up the current Trump supporter is "a love of country, wanting to fix the economy and a good part of just wanting the truth."
"You see so many people who are very unpolished … looking at things in a racial or even just partisan way that is not conducive to a strong fundamental country," said the 27-year-old, who is Black and originally from Georgia.
As has long been the case, white voters are still much more likely to associate with the Republican party.
While Black voters still overwhelmingly support Democrats, that has fallen in recent years. Democrats' edge with Hispanic voters has also somewhat narrowed.
"Looking at 2024 compared to 2016 and 2020, Trump supporters will likely be younger, more male and more racially diverse compared to those elections," said the University of Pennsylvania's Marc Trussler.
Trussler, director of data science for the university's program on opinion research and election studies, said it's linked to "educational polarization," where voters without a college degree, regardless of age, sex and race, are increasingly likely to vote Republican.
Meanwhile, the gaps between Vice-President Kamala Harris and Trump supporters on key issues appears wider than ever. Research shows voters have sharply different views on guns, race, immigration and gender identity.
Polling shows the economy is frequently the most important issue ahead of the election and, Trussler said, it is perceived that Trump would do a better job handling it.
The Trump rally in Butler seemed more like an outdoor festival or monster truck show than a political event. Even Space X founder Elon Musk jumped in with meme-worthy jubilance.
But behind the celebrations, most Trump supporters spoke about how people are financially struggling.
"It's slowly slipping away from us. Anyone that is a Trump supporter wants an old America back, the best America back," said 20-year-old George Constantine.
Nurse Carol Shrum said she was worried about inflation.
"I see the middle class as me, and I know I am having a hard time making it … the insurance is high, all the food, taxes are through the roof. That's all of us," the 65-year-old said.
Trump has been able to tap into people's fears around the economy, safety, immigration and other major issues by using language that exudes a particular brand of masculinity, said Allison Prasch, an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
"Talking about how he will be a protector, he will protect them (from) particular threats, or fears or ills," the expert on U.S. presidential rhetoric said.
Trump is also adept at feeding into his own mythology and the perception of a dangerous adversary putting the future of America at stake, she said.
Trump told the crowd in Butler that over the past eight years, opponents have slandered him, indicted him and tried to throw him off the ballot. The former president went even further with his allegations, adding, "Who knows, maybe even tried to kill me."
Shawn Hillard was near the stage when shots rang out at the July rally. The 58-year-old Trump supporter said it was an honour to return.
"I just see people like myself, like-minded Americans," he said.
"Good, honest people that have been here for centuries and have ancestors that have fought and shed blood for this country — just good hard-working people."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2024.
Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press
