Dressed in a natty dark suit, he signed copies ofTriggered, which was released last week, at Barnes & Noble in Palm Beach Gardens on Friday night.
There were about 500 jubilant supporters who paid $35.77 each to seeDonald Trump‘s son, who has become a major campaign surrogate, and take home a book that Don Jr. signed for them.
“We came to support Don Jr. because we strongly oppose the impeachment proceeding and we love the administration’s focus on family,” Sandra Olsen told PEOPLE while waiting to enter the store.
“We have learned that protesting is a waste of time,” Dittrick told PEOPLE. “Now we are organizing to get things done.”
Another woman was carrying a pair of lighted signs that said “Boycott Barnes & Noble.”
Gustavo Caballero/South Beach Photo/Shutterstock
Lou Rocco/ABC via Getty
Inside, Don Jr., 41, did not speak to the group or have much personal conversation as he smiled and quickly signed each ticket holder’s copy ofTriggered— which is part memoir, part polemic and part celebration of his father — from a set-up in the back of the store.
His eager fans were squired around the room for about half an hour until they had their less than 15 seconds with Don Jr., who runs the Trump Organization in New York City with his brotherEric Trump.
“We like the whole Trump family,” Josh Zitta, whose family owns a company that drives a Trump Jumbotron to events, told PEOPLE. “We go to many Trump events. We have had guns pointed at us but we believe in pro-life and pro-Israel. We came from Brazil where we didn’t have it so good. We like what Trump is doing with the U.S.”
Dr. Joan Lagoulis of Palm Beach Gardens was equally emphatic, telling PEOPLE, ”[Trump] is the best president we have ever had — he is right up there with George Washington. He is keeping us safe.”
Don Jr. has been heavily promotingTriggered, including with help from his dad on Twitter.
OnThe Viewon Thursday, where he appeared with girlfriend and Trump campaign adviserKimberly Guilfoyle, Don Jr.clashed with the hosts on questionsabout impeachment and the Bidens while defending his father’s presidential style.
“I don’t think any of that makes me feel good, but I do think that we got into this because we wanted to do what’s right for America,” he replied.
The Viewon Thursday.Lou Rocco/ABC via Getty
Hours after hisViewinterview, Don Jr. appeared on Hannity’s show with supporters in Alabama where he joked of the daytime talk show’s hosts, “I don’t think they like me much anymore.”
Don Jr. also discussed his own political future earlier in the week onCBS This Morning, saying he has not decided whether to run for office himself but admitted that he would prefer “the campaigning over governing.”
Outside Friday’s event, Palm Beach Gardens resident Josh Hernandez, who did not buy a ticket, said he decided to come out because he was curious what kind of people would come to see Don Jr.
“I am anti-Trump, I just wanted to see who was here,” Hernandez told PEOPLE. “I don’t like the president’s informality or rhetoric, and I think racism has gotten worse in this country since he was elected. We are not living in normal times.”
source: people.com
