Former President Donald Trump is coming to Aurora on Friday, and supporters began lining up outside the Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center before dawn, hours before his really is set to begin.
Roads near the venue were experiencing heavy traffic mid-morning, especially on East 64th Avenue and on Peña Boulevard, the primary access route to Denver International Airport. Travelers should also expect some delays in coming hours as police make accommodations for Trump’s motorcade between DIA and the Gaylord.
Doors were expected to open at 9 a.m, and Trump’s remarks are set to begin at 1 p.m., barring any delays. The Denver Post will stream the rally on this page.
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The Republican presidential nominee’s visit is motivated by the Denver suburb’s challenges with Venezuelan migrants and gang activity this summer at a handful of apartment complexes. He has seized on the problems in recent weeks, calling Aurora a “war zone” and employing rhetoric that has drawn pushback from Mayor Mike Coffman and other local officials, who contend Trump is exaggerating the issues.
Trump’s campaign says the rally has sold out of free tickets. Though the campaign didn’t disclose how many attendees are expected, the Gaylord’s front desk told The Denver Post on Thursday that the event would be in a space with a capacity of 10,000.
He is set to depart sometime later in the afternoon for a Friday evening rally in Reno, Nevada, that’s set to begin at 6:30 p.m. mountain time.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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