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Thousands wrap around downtown Grand Rapids waiting for Trump rally

Posted at 9:39 PM, Nov 07, 2016
and last updated 2016-11-07 23:26:12-05

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Thousands of people waited in line Monday for the opportunity to see Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in his last campaign stop before Election Day.

Trump is hosting a late-night rally at 11 p.m. at DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids Monday night. It's his last scheduled stop for the 2016 season.

His Grand Rapids visit will be his fifth stop after touring around the country, stopping in key battleground states such as Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire.

The line for Trump was long; people from across Michigan and from other states were present, with the line snaking around as far as Ah-Nab-Awen Park across the Grand River.

“I’m kind of losing my voice, because I’ve been shouting 'Trump! Trump! Trump!" said Scott Barnhard from Muskegon.

Lou Deluca is from Rochester Hills on the east side of the state, and he says he was so excited for the rally he took his kids out of school to make it.

Michigan hasn't backed a Republican presidential candidate since 1988.

In the final days of the presidential campaign, Michigan emerged as a battleground state that both major candidates are fighting hard to catch. Trump's latest visit to Grand Rapids will be his eighth time visiting the state since he accepted the Republican nomination for president.

His Democratic rival Hillary Clinton also campaigned in West Michigan on Monday, speaking at a rally at Grand Valley State University in Allendale.