Presidential election followers are used to the amount of media traffic that they are seeing lately, but election freeway traffic was a new phenomenon in the Phoenix area this weekend.
It was a literal movement for Donald Trump. A Trump train of vehicles lined Interstate 17 in a parade that the local Fox affiliate estimated extended 30 miles and included 1,500 cars.
Prior to Trump visiting Prescott in northern Arizona and Tucson in southern Arizona, Trump followers gathered in between on Phoenix’s main Interstate travel artery. Vehicles drew attention with Trump-supporting flags, banners, signs and more as they lined the freeway from near Sky Harbor International Airport to a city exit on the north side.
The caravan was organized by Patriots for Arizona and was an idea sparked by a boat parade at nearby Lake Pleasant.
“It’s overwhelming and profound to see the support and the compassion and love for this president,” parade organizer Theresa Montoya told KPHO-TV, the CBS affiliate in Phoenix. “This has taken on a life of its own. We have a common goal and that’s to get the president elected for four more years.”
On the previous weekend, there was another Trump vehicle parade in Tucson, but that one included a motorcycle escort featuring uniformed riders organized by a private company. The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office and Tucson Police Department said that was illegal according state law, because motorcycle escorts are only allowed for funerals and authorized military events.
Arizona, a traditionally Republican state, is considered a swing state for this election. Trump won the state in 2016 by dominating areas outside of Phoenix.
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