Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was on stage a half hour ahead of schedule when he visited the Akron area on Monday, finishing the day with a rally at the James A. Rhodes Arena on the University of Akron campus.
Earlier in the day, he visited the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge in south Akron for a conversation with retired and active police officers.
Here is a running account as the day developed.
7:20 p.m.
Finished.
Trump was scripted, sticking to the teleprompter.
Said African American workers and children experienced some of the biggest losses in the economy — spoken to a mostly white audience.
6:45 p.m.
Long line outside still filing into arena even though Trump started speaking at about 6:30, a half hour early.
On Twitter: WAKR’s Jason Sokol says that Trump has used the words “build the wall” and Toledo Blade reporter Tom Troy said he used “law and order,” plus will roll back energy regulations and give a 50 percent tax break to small business.
6:40 p.m.
Stressing jobs, Trump says many in the room making less than they did 18 years ago, which would be about 1998.
Says a third of Ohio’s manufacturing jobs lost since NAFTA.
(The Beacon Journal will check the numbers.)
6:30 p.m.
Trump is on stage a half hour ahead of schedule.
6:15 p.m.
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani did a warm-up for the crowd. Giuliani was profiled Monday by the www.washingtonpost.com/politics/rudy-giuliani-gets-the-street-brawl-with-hillary-clinton-that-hes-always-wanted/2016/08/22/1c21971e-687b-11e6-ba32-5a4bf5aad4fa_story.html?tid=sm_tw">Washington Post as Trump’s attack man, getting into a “street brawl” he’s always wanted with Hillary Clinton.
4:30 p.m.
Trump supporters begin to file into the arena.
4 p.m.
Three hours ahead of the opening of the event, more than 200 people were in line outside the James A. Rhodes Arena on the eastern edge of campus.
2:06 p.m.
The Twitter account of @realDonaldTrump posted, “Great meeting with active & retired law enforcement officers- at the Fraternal Order of Police lodge in Akron, Ohio.”
Pictured at the table with Trump was former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani.