Lahren speaks at Alachua GOP event

ALACHUA — Conservative political commentator Tomi Lahren spoke to a sold-out crowd Thursday night in Alachua, blasting Democrats, Hillary Clinton, some media outlets and the Brett Kavanaugh selection process while reminding everyone that Donald Trump is president.

Lahren, a former TV show host who became famous for her outspoken views on national topics, was the keynote speaker at the 16th annual Ronald Reagan Black Tie and Blue Jeans BBQ event.

Registered Republican voters showed out in full force for the event put on by the Alachua County Republican Executive Committee, which included speakers U.S. Rep. Ted Yoho, R-FL., state Sen. Keith Perry, R-Gainesville and state Rep. Chuck Clemons, R-Newberry, all of whom are up for reelection on Nov. 6.

Republican governor candidate Ron DeSantis was expected to attend the event but canceled Thursday to visit the Florida panhandle, which was slammed by Hurricane Michael on Wednesday.

“I think right now it's a battle,” said Lahren, now a Fox News contributor. “We’re getting so close to midterm elections that we have to make sure the red wave comes in strong. I think we’re going to come in strong, but when I have an opportunity to come to a community like this, a county like this, where the battle is going to be raging, I think it’s important for people like me to show out and get people fired up, get people to go out and vote and get people inspired.”

Lahren asked the crowd to give a show of hands of those who have been labeled bigots, racists, homophobes and Islamophobes — during which one man yelled that he was — for simply for supporting strong borders, American values and the president. She ridiculed Republicans who have backed down from their core beliefs after receiving criticism from Democrats.

“So we have an election coming up,” she told the crowd. “I don't want you to just vote straight R, I want you to vote for people that stand up for your ideas.”

More than 550 people showed up for the event at the Legacy Park Multipurpose Center in Alachua, including current and former local elected officials.

Tammy Prince, the president of the county’s Republican Party, said it was the second straight year the event sold out. She said the party chose to invite Lahren to the event as a way to attract more millennial voters and to remind people that there are like-minded conservatives in the region.

“If you look at the county map of Alachua County, it’s really a donut,” she said. “The inner circle is the university and all the Democrats. But the outer areas of the donut, we’re all the Republicans.”

Vendors were selling Trump merchandise throughout the event, some of which included 24-karat gold Trump million dollar bills, hats, T-shirts and pins.

The crowd gave a standing ovation, waiving mini American flags, when singer Joshua Taylor performed “God Bless the USA.”

Dave Nevill, a military veteran, of Newberry, said he has attended the event every year since its inception as a way to support the local Republican Party.

Nevill, 73, who was sporting a red Trump hat, said he was particularly fond of Yoho for his support of veterans and farmers.

“He’s the one political candidate that’s nonpolitical,” he said.

Nicholas Lahera was one of about 100 University of Florida students who attended the event. Lahera, 18, recently and unsuccessfully ran for a seat on the Citrus County School Board, where he is a registered voter.

He said he attended the event to meet like-minded people outside of Gainesville.

“Coming from a heavy Republican Citrus County to a not-so-Republican Alachua County, I just wanted to meet other like-minded individuals and see just how strong the Republican Party was here,” he said. “I think it’s great to see this many people come out for one cause and the promotion of our democracy in all aspects.”

Another UF student, Alison Wilfong, 22, said she thought the turnout was a positive way to show that sitting incumbent Republicans have a fair amount of support heading into the Nov. 6 election.

“I think it shows that we are kind of the silent majority,” she said. “There’s more of us than people think.”

When it came time for the speeches, Clemons spent much of his time encouraging the room to support fellow Republican candidates. He took aim at Nikki Fried, a Democratic candidate for the state’s agriculture commissioner, for her support of marijuana. He called Democrat governor candidate Andrew Gillum a socialist, whom he says will increase taxes by $1 billion, and also knocked the confirmation process for Judge Brett Kavanaugh.

Before he ended his speech, he also urged city voters to support the Gainesville Regional Utilities referendum on the ballot.

In an earlier interview, Clemons said that people in rural parts of the county are often forgotten about and that such events bring those people together.

“I know in the district I represent there's a wide difference in viewpoints and so I don't believe you can get an accurate description until you get out of the city of Gainesville and you see what really the countryside has and find a blended way to solve problems,” he said.

“...There's a lot of people, not only in middle America, but in the outlying counties, and places like this, who are going to vote conservative and for American values,” Lahren said. “So don’t think your voice doesn't matter. We saw in 2016, you can't just show out for national elections. We have to show out for every election, for every primary and we have to show out strongly for these midterms.”