Rapko had driven from Los Angeles, California, with his younger brother, Daryl. Both were retired, their bodies worn down from a lifetime of hard physical labor as tilers and cleaners, but they still wanted to see the billionaire who had never worked out as the leader of his country.
Daryl suffers from body aches after working at the sewage plant.
– That's what work does. It breaks your body, but you know what? I chose to work there myself. Nobody forced me. He says: I'm not complaining.
Eric has a work injury and limited mobility. His vertebrae are compressed and he is in constant pain. He sits on a sun lounger with an American flag on it, surrounded by like-minded people in temperatures of over 30 degrees even before 9 a.m. All the MAGA fans are dressed in Trump gear, with Trump flags and large coolers full of food and drinks, to last at least a day waiting for their hero.
– The fake news media calls us conspiracy theorists. You'd probably write in the headline that we're “racists,” says Eric Rapko.
– But Trump will take care of the West. Look how it is now. The Middle East has already exploded. The warmongers are in the White House now. They want other parents to bury their children.
He claims the election was stolen.
Rapko is attending his second Trump rally. The first was in 2021, when he sat in the fifth row and talked to Mike Lindell, he says proudly. Lindell, a personal friend of Trump’s, conspiracy theorist and businessman, is a big celebrity in MAGA circles.
– Mike Lindell is a great patriot, doing everything he can to fix the electoral process, says Eric Rapko.
When Trump says the election was stolen, the Rapko brothers believe him.
– In Georgia, they faked a water main break to evacuate the building. While the two remaining people walked out, bags were filled with ballots. The media says, “You’re conspiracy theorists.” I’m just saying, watch Dinesh D’Souza’s movie, “2000 Mules.” It doesn’t lie. [filmen är känd som en konspirationsfilm som falskt säger att valet stals från Trump, reds anm.].
Eric calls Hillary and Bill Clinton corrupt.
With Barack Obama, he saw it go even further.
– He paved the way for this country to move away from being a constitutional republic. They want to throw this word 'democracy' around. We are not a democracy. We are a constitutional republic with democratic values. Okay? He says.
– We are like a dictatorship where they make laws we don't vote for, and then expect us to follow them with dire consequences.
Rapko wished he had been there on Jan. 6. He wanted to be one of those who proudly marched against Congress. One of those who followed Trump’s call that day.
“They marched to the Capitol peacefully and patriotically,” Trump said. “I saw it on TV, but I wish I could have been there myself.”
Rapko believes that everything would have been peaceful if it weren't for the “deep state.”
– The FBI hackers were undercover, posing as MAGA supporters. They incited Trump supporters to break in. It only takes a spark to start a fire, he says.
– Look at our J6s [de som fängslades efter belägringen av kongressen 6 januari 2021 reds. anm]They are still in prison without due process.
“sight vision”
The public entering and vandalizing it was just a “right”.
– They just came in and took some pictures of the sights. And by the way, the Capitol is not the politicians' house. It's the people's house. It belongs to them.
The Rapko brothers were the first to arrive at 6:30 a.m. after driving all night from Los Angeles. They were so early that they helped the guards set up the riot fence.
The most dense followers became like a small group of friends. They traveled from gathering to gathering, talking about everything between heaven and earth, guarding each other's things and taking care of each other.
“We’re all friends,” says Rapko. “I feel safe with them.”
Two young men from London flew to Texas because it’s in the middle of the United States, and they could quickly get to a place where Trump was holding a rally. That’s the whole point of the trip – to see Trump speak to his audience.
Those who sit at the front of the line and can't count the number of parades they've attended. They travel the country if they can, more dedicated than the worst Swifty.
Large booths filled with Trump souvenirs sell T-shirts, hats, mugs and posters.
Two old ladies in cowboy hats and American flags feel like revolutionaries.
“In this part of the world, it’s very difficult to wear a stars-and-stripes hat without getting stared at,” one man says, waving a Trump sign like a fan against the heat.
But despite the excitement, there was still a small unease that crept into Friday morning:
– It's weird, because there was a small crowd here before the Trump rally. But it's a very loyal crowd, you see.
Mr. T: “Prayer for the youth”
Mr. T, a Vietnamese Trump supporter, is there in a Trump suit, along with three women wearing Vietnamese rice hats decorated with Trump symbols.
– He says: We have to come and get this country back on track again.
– I pray for the young and even the old who have been brainwashed by this terrible media.
The brothers and Mr. T, a celebrity, hug and take selfies, united in the fight for an America without immigration, and with low gas and food prices.
Eric Ratko doesn’t participate in traditional media, not even Fox News. Yet he watches a long line of YouTubers cheering for Trump.
Traditional media he and little brother Daryl don't trust a bit:
“What would you write now? Two racists… What would be a good headline in your newspaper?” Daryl says.
“Patriots who love their country,” Eric interrupts. “Patriots who want their children and grandchildren to have what we grew up with.”
“But it’s too far. That wouldn’t make a good headline,” Daryl objects.
– Okay then. But then: “We want America to remain America.” That's it. Period, says Eric Rapko.
– I'm ready for Trump to return to the White House.
“Falls down a lot. Internet fanatic. Proud analyst. Creator. Wannabe music lover. Introvert. Tv aficionado.”
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