Giacomo Bologna

GBOLOGNA@NEWS-LEADER.COM

A procession of motorcycles, trucks and cars decked out in Donald Trump signs drove 20 mph for several miles down Glenstone Avenue on Saturday afternoon before turning around and heading back.

It was a celebration of freedom, America and president-elect Donald Trump, said Len Damouth — and, no, he didn't get permission to organize the parade.

"Do you think the protesters got permits?" he asked. "If they can protest, we can celebrate."

Thousands of people have gathered in major U.S. cities to protest Trump's election this week, and Damouth said he wanted to show that there are people happy about his victory.

About 50 people participated in his motorcade, which temporarily blocked northbound traffic as trucks and motorcycles pulled onto Glenstone Avenue near Evangel University. Drivers in the procession obeyed red lights and stayed in one lane.

Damouth said he hopes more cities across America will hold similar events and that this parade gets national attention.

Drivers frequently honked their horns, waved and gave thumbs up as they passed the parade, and Damouth waved back from the large white pickup truck leading the procession.

"Not one 'boo,'" he said. "Not one flip off."

Tuesday night, Trump defied many pollsters and pundits who predicted a victory by his Democratic opponent, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Clinton won the popular vote, but Trump won the Electoral College.

"My family had tears of joy," he said.

Damouth is an unabashed Trump supporter who said his biggest concern was getting corruption out of Washington.

He owns Pit Bull Powersports on Glenstone Avenue, where the parade started and ended. He said he's a Missouri native who lives just outside Springfield's city limits with his wife and three children.

Damouth only needed two words to explain why Clinton shouldn't be president: "Morally unfit."

Regarding a 2005 tape that recorded Trump making lewd comments about women ("And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything; grab them by the p----."), Damouth said every man in America has made similar "locker-room talk."

Damouth also discussed Trump calling Mexicans "rapists" and his proposed ban on Muslims entering the country, saying the president-elect is not a polished politician.

"We're not out to deport anyone. We're not out to ban anyone," he said. "All my black friends are pro-Trump."

It is a falsehood perpetrated by the media that Americans are divided, Damouth said, and President Barack Obama hasn't done much to quell it.

"Think about this: Eight years ago, before Obama took office, did you hear anything about 'race wars?'" Damouth said. "I think the media has incited it."

Damouth said he doesn't watch the news because the media lie.

"(Trump is) a working man, not a politician," Damouth said. "He was never a racist. He was never a bigot ... It's all a media hype."

Instead, he said he gets his news from Facebook, where a man with a camera can have as much of a voice as a cable news network.

Damouth said he's looking forward to the next four years.

"I see America bringing jobs back," Damouth said. "I see the race wars going away. I see the media having to straighten up."

He said he disagreed with the media's portrayal of Trump supporters as "uneducated rednecks."

Overall, Damouth was pleased with the turnout and the waves of support from other motorists.

He said he organized the event within the last two days, and more people would have participated if Saturday weren't the first day of deer hunting season.

A police spokeswoman said it didn't appear the Springfield Police Department received any calls about the parade.

One of the attendees was Springfield resident Mark Davis. He wore sunglasses with orange plastic on top resembling Trump's hair and a shirt featuring a minion from the animated film "Minions" wearing a Trump shirt.

Davis said he's glad to have a non-politician in the White House — Trump, 70, has never held elected office.

"I just want people to give the man a chance," he said.

Davis said he appreciated Clinton's concession speech Wednesday

"I thought she was very gracious ... I was very surprised," he said. "I think she did the right thing."

The parade took place the day after Veterans Day, and Mike Goforth, who served in the Air Force from 1989 to 1993, was also in attendance.

Goforth said he's the commander of American Legion Post 639 in Springfield. He said veterans are not a monolithic voting bloc, but Trump did appeal to many of them.

Trump's comments during the campaign that Sen. John McCain, who was a prisoner in the Vietnam War, was not a war hero rattled Goforth initially, he said.

"I do believe John McCain is an American war hero," he said. "(Trump) was going for the shock factor."

When asked why he decided to participate in Saturday's pro-Trump motorcade, Goforth replied: "We're just celebrating taking America back ... there's protesters and people tearing up stuff. That's just not us. We're happy."