Donald Trump Draws A Crowd In Austin, But Also Lures Protesters

AUSTIN, TX -- The visit by Donald Trump to Austin on Tuesday was the first time he's spoken to a live crowd since the disclosure of his "softening" on immigration, a reversal from his previous vow to round up and deport 11 million-plus undocumented immigrants should he become president.

His changed position didn't go over to well with his followers.
And outside the buildings where he staged his local campaign events -- a fundraiser, a Fox News taping and a rally -- hundreds already predisposed to oppose him gathered along streets near each venue to protest his presence.
"There could certainly be a softening because we're not looking to hurt people," he told Fox host Sean Hannity at a taping in the ACL Live venue inside the Moody Theater.
"You're reversing yourself!" the Austin American-Statesman reported a member of the audience as having shouted at him. "That's a flip-flop, Donald!" yelled another.

Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliana, both staunch Trump supporters, joined the GOP presidential nominee during the Fox News taping.

Trump's hard stance on undocumented immigrants -- with which he launched his campaign 16 months ago --energized his base. Throughout his campaign before his Austin visit, the real estate mogul has pledged to assemble "deportation forces" intended to rid the nation of undocumented immigrants, including families with U.S.-born children. On immigrants, he famously categorized them as "rapists" and "criminals."
But that was then. Facing a drop in the polls and the major support of Latino voters his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, enjoys, Trump's campaign seems to be metamorphosing in a seeming attempt to ingratiate himself with other voting blocs.
But that wall Trump wants to build along the southern border, that's still on. And he repeated his vow to have Mexico pay for its construction.
"We are going to build a wall," Trump told a crowd later during at a rally staged at the Travis County Exposition Center. "We are going to enforce the law. We are going to protect your jobs and wages, and we are going to keep our country safe."
His speech was interrupted several times by his followers chants of "Build that wall! Build that wall!"
For added effect, Trump brought on stage three women who had loved ones killed, purportedly, at the hands of people who were in the U.S. illegally. Border patrol officers also took to the podium to express their support for Trump.
"Your children did not die in vain because we are not going to allow it to happen to others," Trump told the mothers.
The familiar chants of "Lock her up!" were shouted by Trump followers as he lambasted his rival over controversy related to the Clinton Foundation, a charity group formed by his Democratic rival and her husband, Bill Clinton. Trump claims the foundation was a conduit to peddle influence, securing meetings with U.S. State Department personnel in exchange for donations to the charity.
"It is impossible to figure out where the Clinton Foundation ends and the State Department beings," Trump said. "It is now abundantly clear the Clintons set up a business to profit from private office."
Many times during his rally, Trump was interrupted by protesters who were quickly escorted out by Trump's security detail.
While in Austin, Trump also repeated an earlier pitch for the African American vote: “To those suffering, I say, what do you have to lose in trying Trump? I will fix it. I will fix the problems,” he said.
Outside the venues where Trump spoke, many people gathered to protest Trump's presence in their city.
"I love my country," Renee Rabb said succinctly when asked what prompted her to venture out to protest, particularly on another scorching day in Austin with temperatures in the 90s but with a high heat index. "Donald Trump is dangerous," the 35-year Austin resident added. He is the antithesis of everything we stand for in the United States."
Rather then the politics of division she said Trump practices, the tactics of unity should be espouse, Rabb said: "What we need is to be inclusive to everyone, to be kind with each other, to share the bounty we have in our country and life up all of us.

BJ Friedman, who's lived in Austin for 38 years, said she's seen political division before. But she never thought she'd see the same level of acrimony again after having fought past fights for equality.

"I'm a child of the 60s," she said. "We went through all these fights back then -- women's rights, voting rights, civil rights. I thought we were done. I have to raise my voice."
Both Rabb and Friedman stood at one end of a city block between 4th Street and 5th Street at Lavaca Street. Motorists passing by honked their horns in solidarity.
Further north up Lavaca, more protesters positioned themselves.
"Love trumps hate!" shouted Marin Muñoz, probably the youngest protester at barely four years old. "Love trumps hate!" She was joined in protesting with her older sister, Amelia Muñoz, 7, and her mom, Julie Inlow.
Inlow said she was inspired to voice her disapproval of Trump's message after her older daughter was reduced to tears after hearing the candidate's rhetoric on immigration.
"She came into the room with tears in her eyes, and asked if they would take her dad away," Inlow said, referring to her husband, U.S.-born but of Mexican ancestry.
Carrie Brown also brought her daughter, six-year-old Willow Brown, to protest Trump.
"I couldn't not come down," the elder Brown said. "I cannot imagine my kids growing up in a world with Mr. Trump as president."

>>> Trump photo by David Newell for Patch, all other photos by Tony Cantu