Jeff Burlew

Democrat senior writer

8:15 p.m.

Donald Trump took his insurgent campaign for president behind enemy lines — in the Democratic stronghold of Tallahassee — as part of a late-campaign push for Florida.

Trump, speaking Tuesday before a crowd of thousands at the Tallahassee Automobile Museum, didn’t veer far from his usual stump speech or applause lines. He promised to create millions of jobs, fix America’s trade deals and build a wall along the Mexican border.

"If we don't win, it will be a great waste, seriously, of time, energy and money," he said. "So on Nov. 8, we have to win. It's one of the great movements of all time. Let's close it out. Let's knock out Hillary Clinton. She is as crooked as a three-dollar bill."

The audience cheered him on, chanting "Lock her up" when he talked about her private email server and her plans to "double down" on Obamacare.

The GOP nominee’s hopes of winning the White House likely hinge on winning Florida, the nation’s biggest battleground state.

And his appearance in Tallahassee — a government town that reliably backs Democratic presidential candidates — only underscored his effort to get every vote he can in the Sunshine State.

U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Chumuckla, urged rally-goers to “grab 10 people” and take them to the polls.

“If they haven’t voted, make sure they go because it is this part of the state, North Florida, that is going to make the difference and give Donald Trump the electoral votes” he needs to win, Miller said.

Evan Power, chairman of the Leon County Republican Party who served as emcee, said Democrats were certain Trump couldn’t draw a crowd in Tallahassee.

“That’s not true because after eight years of a failed experiment in Barack Obama, people are fed up,” he said. “People are tired. We want our country back and we’re not afraid to come out and rally for what we believe in.”

Check back with Tallahassee.com for more on this story.

6:40 p.m.

Donald Trump has taken the stage at the rally in Tallahassee.

"In 14 days we are going to win the state of Florida, and we are going to win the White House."

Check back for updates at Tallahassee.com.

5:50 p.m. update

The gates are back open, and about 500 people raced into the museum grounds to secure a place with about 15 minutes to go before the program is set to begin. Meanwhile, at Tallahassee Airport, Donald Trump's plane was expected to arrive momentarily.

5:20 update:

With hundreds of people still waiting to get in, the gates for the 6 p.m. Donald Trump rally at the Tallahassee Automobile Museum have been closed. A spokesperson said the event is at capacity.

Traffic has been backed up on I-10 for more than an hour.

Check back for updates at Tallahassee.com.

Original story:

Some of the most devoted Donald Trump fans are already lining up outside the Tallahassee Automobile Museum in advance of his 6 p.m. rally.

Arlene Slavik, her daughter Savannah and a friend left Lake City home in darkness this morning, arriving at the rally site around 6 a.m. and scoring pole position at the gates. Slavik, who saw Trump in Jacksonville and in Ocala has week on her 56th birthday, said she wanted to get the best vantage point to see the GOP nominee.

“He’s not a politician — he doesn’t have to run,” said Slavik, adding she both loves and admires Trump. “He’s doing this for America ... to make this country strong and great again.”

More than a dozen vehicles were lining up outside the museum around lunch. The early birds, many from out of town, all said they wanted to show support for Trump, who in recent weeks has been dogged by accusations involving his treatment of women.

Many of them said they don’t believe what the media is reporting about Trump. And they’re convinced he’s going to win, despite poll numbers showing Hillary Clinton with a national lead and an edge in battleground states including Florida.

“I think it’s awful what the news people are doing to him,” said Irene Allen, who traveled from Palm Coast with her husband and two friends. “They take everything he says and turn it into garbage. If they would put the positive stuff he has to say on the news, then there would be a lot of people who would be going his way.”

The Trump faithful said they think he’ll create jobs, follow the Constitution and protect the 2nd Amendment.

“I trust in him,” said Darlene Riker, a former steel worker who arrived with Slavik. “I’ve been a pretty good judge of character, and I don’t think he’s fooling me.”

Phillip Wiglesworth, 39, of Tallahassee, tried to see Trump last week in Ocala but couldn’t because of a sick child. The retired U.S. Army helicopter mechanic called himself a “huge” Trump supporter.

“He’s going to do great things for our country, make changes that need to be made from the top down,” he said. “Drain the swamp. Get all the criminals out of Washington, D.C.”

Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or follow @JeffBurlew on Twitter.