FAYETTEVILLE, NC — Meet the Trumpsters.
Dozens of diehard Donald Trump supporters have been going the extra mile and then some to get close to their candidate, shelling out thousands of dollars and driving from state to state to claim front-row spots at his raucous rallies.
The fanatic followers know one another by name, share Dunkin’ Donuts and pizzas while waiting to get in, and stay in touch by phone and over social media.
They say they’ve been dubbed Trumpsters for their fervent loyalty, with many clocking in more than a dozen rallies across multiple states.
Along the way, they have become experts at taking roadside naps and at getting Trump’s attention to land a coveted autograph.
Jim Cooley, 52, on Social Security disability, from Winder, Ga.
Cooley drove 345 miles and arrived at 4:15 a.m. to be the first in line at Wednesday’s rally in Fayetteville, NC — his 14th Trump event.
He’s a fervent Second Amendment advocate who supports Trump’s positions on border security, wears NASCAR sunglasses and smokes Marlboro cigarettes.
By the time the evening rally was over, he had been awake for 24 hours straight.
“You don’t really get the full experience until you come to a rally and feel the energy,” he said. “If Trump weren’t running, I wouldn’t even be voting.”
Richard Snowden, 64, retired nightclub owner, lives near Nashville, Tenn.
Snowden is thought to be the Trumpiest of the Trumpsters.
He has driven 28,000 miles and flown another 7,500 to attend 27 rallies across 13 states.
A lifelong political junkie, he said he was about to give up on politics after Mitt Romney’s loss in the 2012 presidential race, but that Trump reignited his political passions.
He has spent $15,000 traveling to Trump rallies since late August.
“I got bitten by the bug . . . I’ve never done this before. I’ve been to a rally here or there for candidates for decades, but Mr. Trump does bring this out in us — this dedication, loyalty and rock-hard support,” he said.
Dale Ranney, 61, retired industrial engineer, Myrtle Beach, SC
Ranney was a VP of the Reform Party in the late 1990s, when Ross Perot made a run for president.
She said Trump shares Perot’s criticism of free-trade agreements, which she called her No. 1 issue.
Ranney started a grassroots volunteer team that has made more than 35,000 cold calls seeking new supporters, and she has spent about $5,000 traveling to 15 rallies in five Southeastern states.
“All 15 rallies I’ve been to, I’ve talked to [Trump], and he’s signed things for me. Sometimes, I get a kiss on the cheek,” Ranney said.
“When you’re part of the first 50 that come into the rally, we run like hell to be up front and close to our hero . . . It’s like a big party.”
Kraig Moss, 57, foundation repairman, Oswego, NY
Although an upstate New Yorker, Moss talks with a Texas accent, wears snakeskin and leather boots and a cowboy hat, and plays bluesy folk songs on his guitar.
He drove 13½ hours from Oswego to North Carolina to attend his 13th Trump rally since January — an obsession that he said has helped him cope with the fatal heroin overdose of his 24-year-old son, Rob J.R. Moss, two years ago.
“For the first time since my son has passed, I’m doing something that feels like it has a purpose — getting up and being able to talk about my son, talking about the heroin epidemic, meeting people and playing music,” Moss said.
He entertains his fellow Trumpsters as they wait in line, playing a variety of tunes, including some from his upcoming album.
The album, he said, will be a soundtrack for Trump’s campaign.
“He just doesn’t know it, yet,” Moss joked.
Jay Gregory, 62, retired sheriff from Stuart, Va.
Gregory was the second person in line at the Fayetteville, NC, event — his 19th Trump rally.
He worked as a sheriff for 32 years before retiring to take care of his ailing father for the past 10 years.
After his dad died, Gregory felt like he needed to find a new purpose, and he said he found it in Trump’s campaign.
“My family is overjoyed that I found this cause to help Donald Trump,” he said. “On stage, he’s fiery, but when you talk to him one-on-one, he’s level-headed, reasonable and a common-sense kind of guy.”