'As a Brit at Trump's Virginia rally I was shocked that many voters fear the same thing'

It was a day of fervent patriotism when thousands of Trump supporters descended on Salem, Virginia, this weekend for one of the presidential hopeful’s final campaign rallies. The most dedicated got up at dawn to queue from 8 in the morning, four hours before the doors of the city’s Civic Center opened.

Once inside, a parade of political supporters sent the crowd into a frenzy before Trump arrived to thunderous applause and spoke for more than 90 minutes about his plans for “America’s new golden age.”

The former and perhaps future president marked all the topics on Trump’s bingo card, relentlessly attacking his rival. Kamala Harris for his handling of the economy, migration and transgender issues.

Vowing to usher in a new dawn in which America is “bigger, better, bolder, richer, safer and stronger,” he told his rapt audience: “If we win Virginia, we win everything. It is very possible that without winning Virginia, we will win everything.”

The so-called Mother of States was a stretch pick for a rally in the final days of the campaign, with Harris scoring 6.2 points ahead of Trump. according to FiveThirtyEight by statistician Nate Silver. But the strength of the support from around 6,000 fans admitted to the relatively intimate venue was undeniable.