Trump fans eager for rallies: ‘I would sit through a hurricane’ – New York Post

Joseph Belnome used to holiday in Greece and Italy. Now he does Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

“I’ve been to eight Trump rallies since 2016,” said the 44-year-old from Belleville, NJ. “They’re like vacations for me. This is how I use my vacation days from work.”

Belnome, an employee of Essex County’s Department of Public Works, proudly calls himself a “Front Row Joe” — the nickname for supporters who travel the country to attend campaign rallies and jockey for a good position.

“I showed up a day early for a Pennsylvania rally last year and made it on Fox News,” Belnome said. “You’re talking 24 to 30 hours of waiting [at the venue]. You’re exhausted, but . . . I want to put my hands on the guardrail.”

His friends, he admitted, have “thought I was a little crazy, but they respect my dedication.”

Recently, however, the Front Row Joes have been grounded, with rallies in Alabama and New Hampshire canceled and Trump taking to the Internet for “telerallies.” The groupies are feeling withdrawal pains.

“I’m sad and disappointed,” said regular Edward X. Young. “I’ve never had more fun in my life than at these patriotic celebrations.

If Belnome and Young had their way, they would keep going no matter what. Belnome doesn’t think coronavirus fears should stop a rally: “People who are at [higher] risk should stay at home and everyone else should live their lives.”

“If they had a rally in a hurricane, Trump supporters would hang onto a flagpole to hear the president speak,” Young added. “I’ve stood outside rallies in snowstorms and rain for hours to hear the man. We cheer loudly, and I’m usually voiceless the next day. It’s terribly exciting and rewarding.”

For Young, who works in sales and acts in low-budget horror movies, “It’s the World Series and Super Bowl mixed with New Year’s Eve in Times Square — a Trump rally is all of that.”

The 60-year-old Brick, NJ, resident, who is widowed with no children, told The Post he has attended some 30 of the events. To stay awake and pump himself up, he repeatedly listens to the president’s audiobooks, including “Art of the Deal” and “Crippled America,” while driving in his 2003 Mercury Marquis.

“I’ve probably driven 15,000 miles for rallies, which is a lot of gas, tolls and wear and tear on the car,” Young said.

Once he arrives, he still has lots of time to kill. “I’ll find the line in the dead of night and be prepared to stand or sit for at least 12 to 16 hours to score a good spot,” Young explained. “You get to develop these friendships online — you have to.”