It was a misty autumn evening, unusually warm, with rain falling gently from the wind. I got out of my taxi and rushed to Van Andel Arena, one of Michigan’s largest public venues, located in Grand Rapids, the state’s second-largest city.
The intersection was blocked by police vans and the neighboring street was lined with stalls selling “Make America great Again.” Before me was a sea of people wearing colorful MAGA hats, jackets, and flags.
The gathering was perfect for my mission that day: capturing the energy, voices and atmosphere of the election on the ground. I decided to approach a few participants – mostly men of different ages and races – to ask them what brought them to the rally.
In New York and Washington, I heard about families breaking up and friendships dissolving because of political ideologies. However, this was the first time I witnessed such anger and division.
