I visited a Donald Trump rally in Florida – it wasn’t scary, it was just plain depressing

As we drove around the parking area we were approached by a number of merchandise sellers. ‘Hillary for Jail’ t-shirts seemed to be doing well and I only saw one stall incendiary enough to be selling the internet famous 'Trump that B*tch' shirt

Donald Trump is the Republican nominee for president (Getty Images)

When I heard that Donald Trump was going to be in town during my time in Florida, as a Brit, I knew that I just had to go along to witness one of his infamous rallies. What I found amidst a crowd of 20,000 Floridians – who may just hold the balance of power in this election – was a strange mix of passion and despondency. Yes, there were many enthused Trump supporters. But there also seemed to be a large group of people backing the Republican candidate not because he is Donald Trump, but because he isn’t every other politician.

On the journey to the MidFlorida Amphitheatre I found myself stuck in a line of traffic that stretched back onto the highway. Almost 10 miles outside of Downtown Tampa, thousands of people were making a real effort to get here and they were even prepared to pay the price of the traffic as long as it meant seeing Donald Trump. About halfway down the line, a woman emerged from the car in front of us and started performing a cheerleader act in the middle of the road to the delight of the passing traffic. Upon hearing “Give me a T” I assumed that I was going to be in for a fun night.

The queue for the parking was something like I have never seen before. There was an abundance of staff directing cars in each and every direction. As we drove around the parking area we were approached by a number of merchandise sellers promoting all the latest Trump memorabilia. “Hillary for Jail” t-shirts seemed to be doing well and I only saw one stall incendiary enough to be selling the internet famous “Trump that B*tch” shirt.

Among the mayhem I met democratically active people supporting and opposing down-ballot issues that will be voted on at the same time as the General Election, as well as a group of Veterans selling cheap shirts to raise money for their cause.

As an outsider, I didn’t expect to be given a warm welcome. But as I approached the media table I was flashed a smile by an older lady who told me that the UK press seemed more interested in this race than the previous ones she had worked on. I wonder why. After passing a rigorous security check and a few questions from the Secret Service, I had made it to Trump Land.

I took a seat towards the back of the theatre so that I could watch the full spectacle unfold. The crowd was adorned with pink “Women for Trump” banners that would be launched into the air with each cheer given to the preliminary speakers. Popular former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden urged the crowd to get out and vote, whilst local elected officials spoke more supportively of Trump than some of his other Republican colleagues. Between speeches adverts were played that were highly critical of the Clinton campaign – often leading to raucous cheers of “lock her up”.

By the time Donald Trump took to the stage the place was packed. He received a number of standing ovations throughout his speech despite saying little that we didn’t already know. What struck me was the hate that people around me had for Hillary Clinton. This is something that doesn’t seem overtly apparent back home. Throughout my time here in Florida, even registered Democrats that I’d spoken to seem to be voting Clinton while holding their nose. Though there was a lot of passion for Donald Trump, there was a genuine sadness about the whole thing given that most people feel let down by both options.

While it looks almost certain that Trump will lose this election, the disquiet that he has tapped into is going nowhere. Trump and his rhetoric will sink away after this election, but the hatred of the system felt by many of his supporters will not. Clinton supporters may be chanting four more years already, but there will be one hell of a fight in 2020 if establishment politicians don’t get their act together.