Trump brings his rolling circus of controversy to Everett

Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump shakes hands with supporters during a rally, Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016 at Xfinity Arena in Everett. Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump shakes hands with supporters during a rally, Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016 at Xfinity Arena in Everett. Photo: GENNA MARTIN, SEATTLEPI.COM Photo: GENNA MARTIN, SEATTLEPI.COM Image 1 of / 89 Caption Close Trump brings his rolling circus of controversy to Everett 1 / 89 Back to Gallery

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump brought his campaign to Everett on Tuesday, repeating many of the points he's made in numerous stump speeches since beginning his campaign more than a year ago.

Trump's energized, excited supporters (as well as the curious) came in droves. The line to get into Xfinity Arena, where Trump spoke, stretched at least a dozen blocks and kept growing at one point. The gates opened at 4 p.m., but even by the end of Trump's speech at 8:20 p.m. thousands were reported still outside trying to get in.

But why did Trump come to Washington, which hasn't gone for a Republican presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan in 1984?

Trump declared that he came to Washington because he believes he's going to win the state.

"We're going to win it. That's why I'm here," he said. After hitting his main points of security and leadership, he added, "Our country is going to hell. And we're not going to let it happen."

But there's the money, too.

Susan Hutchison, chairwoman of the Washington State Republican Party, told members of the media that a fundraiser held at the arena prior to Trump's speech raised about $1.5 million from the group of some 150 supporters willing to write checks.

The fundraiser was like a mini-GOP convention, with Trump being joined by former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, party Chairman Reince Priebus and Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions.

Trump's speech in the arena was interrupted a few times by protesters who were ushered out to chants of "Trump!" and "USA!" After one interruption, Trump noted, "These are very quiet protesters. When Bernie had protesters around they had a lot more energy. They had more heart."

He used heroin deaths in Seattle to promote his promise to shut the borders to drugs and "stop drugs from poisoning our youth and community."

Other than that, frankly, you've heard it all before. The crowds responded loudly and intensely to keep the Syrians out and to anything said about opponent Hillary Clinton. The crowd seemed less certain about the poor people in primarily minority neighborhoods Trump said he was going to save from the policies of Democrats.

Basically, Trump said he is just going to fix everything. He is, however, going to Mexico first, apparently. The Associated Press reported that Trump will make a surprise trip to Mexico on Wednesday to meet with the country's president, just hours before delivering a highly anticipated speech on immigration in Arizona.

Trump made no mention of his visit to Mexico during his speech in Everett.

After a very slow and crowded exit from the arena -- thankfully there wasn't a fire or emergency, because everyone would have died -- supporters were met with a couple hundred protesters chanting and declaiming against Trump from behind a barricade. Police blocked Trump supporters from approaching the protesters.

Earlier, before being allowed into the arena, the crowd that had lined up outside sported "Hillary For Prison" signs, big Trump flags and more. The Trump banners, capes, signs, T-shirts and hats proclaimed vigorous support, sported by a crowd that would be very tough to caricature: Kilts and skirts and dresses, pants and shorts and tattoos, young, old ... you name it. This is a slice of America with just one obvious thing in common.

"I'm here to see and hear Trump talk about law and order and making America great again, really," said Belinda Peralez, 48, a hair designer from Yakima. "I think he'll help the economy, create jobs and secure our borders."

A mom leading her young daughter, holding up a tiny U.S. flag confidently, to the back of the very long line said to the girl, "We're on the Trump train!" to encourage her along. The girl repeated it with that human desire to be a part of something exciting, even if it didn't make a lot of literal sense.

The only person seen with an anti-Trump sign early on, a man, was cheerfully, playfully heckled: "Hey, there's Hillary!" And others then joined in with "Lock her up!" The other common refrain was "Hilary is a liar."

A bit later, roughly 200 anti-Trump demonstrators marched from a nearby park to the front of the arena with signs and slogans, mostly against Trump rather than pro-Clinton. The only clashes were verbal, and those were definitely centered on Clinton.

The Trump supporters appeared to be there mostly to get riled up, listen to some country music about a bright American future (and Elton John's "Funeral for a Friend" and other sappy tunes) and wait for The Donald to speak in his characteristically reckless, wild, from-the-gut, truth-of-the-moment zingers.

As the many outside made their way inside, organizers trotted out commercials on the arena's center screen. What got this crowd cheering, characteristically, was this phrase in one of the commercials: "... our borders secure." Making America great is fine. Putting Hillary in jail would be great. But what they really reacted to was security in a chaotic world.

Outside in line, Stephanie Beres, 47, of Sammamish stated: "We're tired of cowering in the shadows since we're not Democrats. We want the country to move forward, but we also want to be protected. I want our country to be strong."

At least one in the crowd was eager to circumnavigate the media filter (which his supporters feel is rampantly biased against Trump) to hear from the man himself.

Matthew Carlson, 21, of Bellevue said:

"This is the first election I get to vote in, so I'm just here to see what this is all about. I went to a Sanders rally, but my views lean pretty conservative/Republican. I think whether you agree with him or not, it's important to see the man himself. There's been a lot of media scrutiny on Trump, and I think sometimes his diction hasn't always been the best. What he says gets left wide open to interpretation. So, I want to be here myself to see what he has to say."

Carlson added that he'd met some "really great people" in line who, like Trump, "love America."

The law-and-order crowd loudly clapped and cheered as police officers on bicycles rode the lines, keeping order.

"I feel like this is our last chance to keep America as a country that we've all known and loved for the past 200-plus years," said Vicki Beres, 69, of Sammamish. "I feel like we are on the verge of losing America -- In every single way, economically, socially, politically. It's just a breakdown. I feel like Trump is a very patriotic guy who does love America. His love for America will keep him on the right track."

The facility holds some 10,000 people. Organizers expected a spill-over crowd based on the number of tickets distributed prior to the event.

Trump has been struggling in the polls. On Monday, his campaign ramped up advertising in several key states, CNN reported. And a recent Elway Poll showed Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton with a double-digit lead over Trump in Washington, 43 percent to 24 percent.