Even hours after the shooting, some supporters gathered outside the Manhattan building, seeking solace among the shaken.
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Supporters and members of the news media gathered in front of Trump Tower in Manhattan on Saturday.
One by one, they filed toward Fifth Avenue — locals, tourists, gawkers, fans — confident that, on this night, they would have company at Trump Tower.
Christine Randall, 59, had been watching former President Donald J. Trump’s rally at home in Manhattan when the shots rang out.
“I really thought maybe he was dead. I started crying,” Ms. Randall said just before 10 p.m. on Saturday night. “When he stood up, I was so happy.”
And then right away, she said, she collected her “Make America Great Again” hat and a “Take America Back” flag and started walking toward the former president’s building.
She was not alone.
With a wall of officers guarding the tower’s gilded entrance and a smattering of news cameras nearby, some two dozen visitors had descended, even hours after the shooting, to show their support for Mr. Trump and seek solace among the shaken.
They traded stories about where they were at the moment the event turned violent and snapped pictures of each other’s Trump-red gear and trimmings.
They waved at drivers and motorcyclists who honked or fist-pumped on the way by — “We love you, Trump! We love you!” someone shouted from the road — and bobbed a little when a Whitney Houston song played from a passing pedicab.
“I’m going to be here all night,” said Lynda Andrews, 51, wearing a Trump hat and a sparkling red top and holding an American flag.
Ms. Andrews said she is originally from Pennsylvania, the state where the rally was held. As she watched Mr. Trump on Saturday from her home in Harlem, she recalled, “I went into shock.”
And then:
“I saw his hand go up,” Ms. Andrews said. “And I’m like, ‘That’s my guy.’”
She changed her clothes and headed toward Midtown.
Matt Flegenheimer is a correspondent for The Times focusing on in-depth profiles of powerful figures. More about Matt Flegenheimer
See more on: Donald Trump, 2024 Elections
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Source: nytimes.com
