Truckers for Trump group caravan's through Tri-Valley on final Saturday before election
Just three days until the election, the rest of the country was reporting a lot of anxiety over the possible outcomes. But in the Tri-Valley, supporters of former president Donald Trump were feeling pretty confident and they weren't afraid to let the rest of the Bay Area know about it.
"Oh, it's awesome. It's awesome. We're taking our country back," said Livermore resident and Trump supporter Cindy Nielsen.
You didn't need a poll to determine where the loyalties lay at the Stoneridge Mall in Pleasanton. A group called Truckers for Trump put out a call for supporters to stage a pickup caravan through the Tri-Valley. Nielsen and her husband started the group back in 2016.
"Everybody knows our flyer. It's insane. Yeah, we spread it all around the country," she said. "I don't know if you've seen, but this parking lot was filled. It was filled, People are on it right now. They're very excited."
Psychologists say this election is causing a huge amount of anxiety to the country in general. But the Trump truckers seemed to feel nothing but optimism, despite being in a Democratic stronghold like the Bay Area.
"Certainly, there's a lot of hostility for Trump, but there's a lot of support, too," said Hunter Cobb from Alameda. "There's a lot more support for Trump than people realize. And, so, some people are going to be surprised by the result of the election."
They moved down the freeway to Livermore where they paraded noisily through the downtown square, eventually ending up at Robertson Park. Joining them was Bill Champagne from Suisun City who brought along his 1955 Massey Ferguson tractor, which he considers a symbol of the country he would like to see.
"It was built here by American hands, by American steel, and it just kind of represents the whole foundation of what I think," he said. "They're trying to make Republicans sound like we're not for America, which we 100 percent are for America."
Some Trump supporters voiced their concern over election fraud, which many of his supporters claimed in 2020.
"I'm so concerned about election fraud. I think that's the biggest worry I have," said Bruce Brothers from Tracy. "Not that he won't win, but that he will be screwed again like he was four years ago."
Respecting the electoral process is the bedrock of the foundation of a democratic system.
Dublin resident Albert Lamarre thought Trump supporters are already poised to claim fraud if they don't like the outcome of the election. He's worried about what that will mean for the country.
"I think if he does not win, we're going to see the same kind of thing as in the last presidential election that he lost. The January 6th event. I'm afraid we might see something like that again," said Lamarre. "And that's brand new. We haven't experienced that before."
But no one seems too worried about scaring people these days. The entire presidential campaign has been based on fear on both sides. So, it's not surprising that those who aren't absolutely certain they will win may instead be feeling a little anxious.