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Golf Cart Politics: Florida Retirees Flaunt Loyalties to Trump and Harris
In The Villages, Florida’s retirement mecca, pro-Trump residents have been galvanized by a surprising showing of support for Kamala Harris.
The golf carts lined up by the hundreds, festooned for Trump fandom: a teddy bear with orange hair and a red tie. A surprisingly realistic Trump mask. A Trump rubber duck. An inflatable Trump tube, depicting his mouth open and fists pumped in the air.
On Saturday afternoon, The Villages, Florida’s retirement mecca, was abuzz with a parade for former President Donald J. Trump — even as Tropical Storm Debby menaced.
“If Trump could take a bullet,” said Tommy Jamieson, the parade organizer, referring to last month’s assassination attempt, “then we can take a little rain.”
The people of The Villages, a sprawling planned retirement community northwest of Orlando and a solidly Republican stronghold, know that they live in Trump Country. But a week earlier, supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, held a golf cart rally of their own, drawing widespread attention, to the chagrin of Trump-supporting Villagers.
So Mr. Trump’s backers — with some donning T-shirts that read “I’m voting for the felon” and“I’m voting for the outlaw and the hillbilly,” referring to Mr. Trump’s running mate, JD Vance — set out to show them up.
