In Cincinnati, Trump revels in victory
Editor's note: This article was initially published on Dec. 1.
President-elect Donald Trump flew into Cincinnati on Thursday to kick off a national tour thanking the country for electing him to the White House.
But first he had a confession to make.
"So I didn't know what came with this position," he said. “I didn't know they closed down the roads around the stadium for an hour and a half.”
Unannounced road and bridge closures for Trump’s visit shut down rush-hour traffic in the core of Greater Cincinnati for about two hours. The snarled traffic thinned the size of Trump’s crowd at U.S. Bank Arena compared to his rally there in October. A number of sections that were populated in October - especially in the upper decks - were empty Thursday night.
#TrumpTraffic makes Cincy brake again
Trump thanked Ohio for its part in his victory, at first delivering prepared remarks meant to inspire.
“This campaign proved that the old rules no longer apply, that anything we want for our country is now possible,” he said, then looked away from his prepared speech into the crowd. “Anything we want, right? Now is not the time to downsize our dreams, but to set our sights higher than ever before for our country.”
But Trump soon veered away from his remarks, reverting to vintage stylings from the campaign trail.
He slammed the "extremely dishonest press" in a lengthy mocking of pre-election claims that he wasn't going to win the election, to boos and laughter from the crowd. They loved it, and they weren’t alone.
“I love this stuff. Should we go on with this a little bit longer?” He said. The crowd roared its approval.
Trump did more than thank voters in Cincy
But Trump eventually returned to restating his campaign platform, rejecting globalization, threatening companies who seek to leave the U.S., praising the American worker, and vowing to bring back manufacturing jobs.
“The era of economic surrender is over,” he said. “We’re going to fight for every last American job. It’s time to remove the rust from the Rust Belt and usher in a new economic revolution.”
Trump also confirmed that he would be announcing his pick for secretary of defense Monday: retired Gen. James Mattis. Mattis, 66, is a Marine Corps general who retired in 2013 after serving as the commander of the U.S. Central Command,
Trump flew in from Indianapolis, where he announced a deal to save jobs at Carrier. He arrived early to Cincinnati for a Republican National Committee fundraiser, according to pool reports, necessitating the lengthy road closures. The Secret Service didn't allow for any announcements about the closures, said City of Cincinnati spokesman Rocky Merz.
Cincinnati might seem like an odd place for Trump to start his victory tour. The city and Hamilton County both backed his opponent, Democrat Hillary Clinton. But the city is surrounded on all sides by Trump country: suburbs, rural counties and Northern Kentucky, just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati.
Ted Day, 75, clad in a "Deplorable Lives Matter" t-shirt his son picked up at the Mike Pence rally in Mason in October said he was excited to see the man who's not afraid to say what Day himself has been thinking.
"The thought police have been going around," said Day, of Montgomery. "Donald Trump has the guts to say what others didn't."
His son, Emerson Day, 17, a junior at Sycamore High School, said he supports Trump because "Trump is the change this country needs."
Christa Titone, of Centerville, brought her three daughters, ages 11, 8 and 4, to see Trump.
The foursome – decked out head to toe in red white a blue garb, including a Trump foam finger – has been following the election together and supported Trump.
"This is a life experience," she said. "They'll always remember seeing the president-elect."
Such a victory lap is unprecedented for a president-elect. But it matches Trump's populist style. He energized his campaign with numerous rallies, held in venues ranging from vast arenas with rock show lighting to airplane hangers where Trump rolled up, whistle-stop style, in his jet.
Trump last visited Cincinnati on Oct. 13, less than a week after a video surfaced in which Trump could be heard making lewd comments about women. At the raucous rally, he told the thousands in attendance the video and the resulting furor were just a media-driven distraction from Clinton's scandals.
At the time, Ohio polls showed him and Clinton in a dead heat. Less than four weeks later, the Buckeye State backed by about 8 percentage points over Clinton.
During the race, there was frequent friction between his campaign and state GOP leaders loyal to Gov. John Kasich, whom Trump defeated in the Republican presidential primary. Kasich never endorsed Trump, and a Kasich spokesman said the governor wouldn't be attending Trump's rally in Cincinnati.
Trump took a few digs at Kasich, noting "Hey, in the great state of Ohio we didn't have the upper echelon of politician, did we."
Trump did say that Kasich called him to congratulate him after his election. But the mere mention of Kasich's name triggered boos from the crowd.
Trump campaign rallies often attracted scores of sellers outside, hawking Trump-themed flags, buttons, hats and T-shirts to pair with the Trump campaign's ubiquitous, bright-red "Make American Great Again" cap. On Thursday, Trump himself got in on the game, announcing to supporters via email that "Limited-Edition USA Thank You Tour 2016" merchandise was available for sale at the rally.
Outside the rally a diverse group of between 150 and 200 protesters gathered. From students aligned with Socialist Alternative to the Black United Front to those supporting immigrants and women.
John McNay, a professor and Fairfield resident, said this was his first protest since going to demonstrations against the first war in Iraq in the 1990s.
"I think he's just rubbing it in our faces," McNay said of Trump's "Thank You America" tour.
A line of police officers separated the protesters and those attending the event. Some broke ranks and tried to engage the other side in a discussion. A few in line quipped the protesters were being paid. People from both sides excitedly agreed to be interviewed by the Daily Show's Jordan Klepper.
The line was several hundred deep when Jeff Hubbard of Newtown took his spot. Anticipating protesters, he held a sign that read, "Suck it up buttercup, you lost."
Hubbard said he's voted in every presidential election since 1982, and Trump is the first politician he's been excited about taking any office since Ronald Reagan.
Westwood resident Melva Gweyn agreed. "It's real hope and real change," she said. "Not everyone is going to like it."
Katie Vogel, Jason Williams and the Associated Press contributed
Note: Melva Gweyn's name was misspelled in an earlier version of this story. The Enquirer regrets the error.