Chesapeake, Va. – After debating President Biden on Thursday night, former President Trump went to Chesapeake, Virginia, in front of a crowd of thousands to host a rally in a state not won by a Republican presidential candidate since 2004.
Trump was joined by a potential Trump vice presidential choice, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
Thousands of Trump enthusiasts waited in line for several hours in rising temperatures in hopes of catching a glimpse of the former and possible next president of the United States. Many in attendance tuned into Thursday night’s debate and told Fox News Digital they were less than impressed with Biden’s performance.
Anne Sprouse from Virginia Beach watched the debate not expecting much, but was pleasantly surprised by how the moderators conducted the event.
‘I’m gonna give CNN some credit for being honest. I thought they were pretty nice to Trump. I think it went really well,’ Sprouse said. ‘Unfortunately, Biden is not physically able to be the president. I think that his family should take him home. I think he needs to retire, and I think Trump needs to take it back. I think he needs to make everything great again.’
Edward Young traveled more than 300 miles south from Brick, New Jersey, to hear the former president speak after his performance on the debate stage.
‘Biden’s toast. He’s finished. He’s gone,’ Young predicted. ‘Not only can’t he be the candidate, but he can’t continue as president. I predict he’s going to resign by the end of the week.’
‘They put all these restrictions on Trump, and he looked just fine. They get mad at him. They can’t understand his New York attitude,’ he added.
Kevin Gaudet of Chesapeake, Virginia, echoed Young’s thoughts about Biden’s performance.
‘It was a shame,’ Gaudet said. ‘Our president of the United States [was] basically disgraced on the world stage. Fumbling on every other word that he was saying. Every time he came up with a number, he was picking a new number. I don’t think he knew what he was talking about half the time.’
‘I think Trump did an excellent job. He kept his cool. He didn’t get upset. He was truly presidential this time versus ’16. He’s had my vote from day one,’ he said.
Supporters of all ages turned out to Greenbrier Farms, including future voters.
Sophia, 12, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, was there with her family and watched some of the back and forth between Biden and Trump. One topic in particular caught her attention, and for all the wrong reasons.
‘I thought it was funny when they started talking about golf,’ she said.
Sophia then took a more serious tone when the topic switched from drivers and putters to the safety of Americans.
‘I like to watch politics,’ she said. ‘I like watching it because I want my country to be safe. I feel like Trump will provide a lot more safety because he has actual plans, rather than Joe Biden sleeping. It’s nice to know somebody’s awake and ready to support our country.’
The second and final presidential debate is scheduled for Sept. 10 at 9 p.m. ET and will be hosted by ABC News.
Fox News’ Sophia Compton contributed to this report.