Members of The Villages MAGA Club celebrated former President Donald Trump’s 77th birthday on Wednesday with a flag-waving event and a picnic.
The VMC is a political action committee formed in August of last year. The club’s goal is to support Trump and his agenda, candidates and policies. In the past, they have organized meet and greets, rallies and speakers for those purposes.
About 80 club members and supporters of the cause gathered at the intersection of County Road 466A and Morse Boulevard with flags and signs in hand to commemorate the day. From 10 a.m. until noon, honking horns could be heard as passersby expressed their appreciation for the display.
The afternoon concluded with a picnic for all participants to enjoy. Cupcakes decorated like the American flag were the finishing touch as the group gathered once more to sing “Happy Birthday” for a video that will be sent to Trump and news outlets like Newsmax.
Club President Tommy Jamieson and his wife Valerie of the Village of Bonita were very happy with the turnout, as they have experienced an influx of members in the club in recent weeks. Also considering recent events with Trump’s trial, the couple remarked that the club was extremely motivated and planned to continue advocating for Trump and his campaign for presidency.
“He’s a fighter, and that keeps us fighting,” said Tommy Jamieson.
However, not everyone present was there to celebrate. About a minute down the road from the intersection were members of Villagers for Democracy, a Facebook group whose members do not support Trump or his re-election.
Casey Marr, one of the group’s admins, and several other members wanted to serve as a reminder that there are still those in The Villages that are “standing up for democracy,” as it says on their Facebook page. Honks could be heard on their end of the street, as well, with some rolling down their windows to shout their support for the group’s signs and messages.
“We’ve gotten a really positive response,” said Marr. “That’s a recent change to other protests and things we’ve done here in the past.”