Photos by Cindy Skop, Daily Sun
![]() ‘America will prevail,’ Pompeo tells crowd
By AlexANDria Mansfield, Daily Sun Staff Writer The best investment advice he ever received, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, was to never bet against America. “America will prevail,” Pompeo said. “We should all bet on our nation.” Those words brought cheers Thursday during Pompeo’s appearance at the Sumter County Fairgrounds in Bushnell. Roughly 700 spectators, most of them Villagers, listened as he spoke about his role as America’s top diplomat and the work his boss, President Donald Trump, is doing to keep the nation safe. Coming three months after Trump’s visit to The Villages and two months before the state’s presidential preference primary, Pompeo’s stop underscored the importance of Sumter and Florida to the president’s reelection effort this year. More visits by the president’s team and other top Republicans are likely throughout the campaign to Election Day. Sumter County and The Villages lie on the edge of the all-important Interstate 4 corridor, the voter-rich area from Tampa to Daytona Beach that politicians consider key to victory in the state. Sumter has about 56,000 registered Republicans and, during the 2016 presidential election, Trump easily won the county. That support was on view at the fairgrounds, where the crowd greeted Pompeo with a standing ovation and chants of “U-S-A” and “four more years.” The former Kansas congressman and director of the Central Intelligence Agency took the stage a little after 4 p.m. and spoke for about 15 minutes on foreign policy — briefly touching on abortion and socialism — and the president’s plans for the country. Pompeo said his mission in the Trump administration is “to make the world safer so we don’t have to send young men and women off to fight.” When he visits other nations, people line the streets, he said — “not because he’s Mike,” but because he’s representing the U.S., he said. “For too long, we weren’t winning,” Pompeo said. “Now we have a president who’s getting it done. Is anyone tired of winning yet?” A chorus of “no” answered his question. Pompeo arrived in Bushnell from Miami, where he participated in a round-table discussion with representatives of South Florida’s Venezuelan community. The session, hosted by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, was closed to reporters. Latin American political unrest has dominated the secretary’s itinerary in recent days. On Monday in Bogotá, Colombia, Pompeo met with Juan Guaidó, the Venezuelan politician, hoping to unseat Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who the secretary of state described Thursday as “running something that looks more like a drug cartel than a real government.” He also expressed the nation’s dissatisfaction with Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and his hopes for free elections in that country, where protests have resulted in hundreds of deaths at the hands of the government. The Florida Senate passed a resolution this week condemning Ortega and detailing how protesters have been arrested and tortured. Thursday’s event at the fairgrounds was organized by the Sumter County Republican Executive Committee and hosted by the Sumter County Teen Court, a program in which first-time juvenile defendants have their cases reviewed by a jury of their peers. The group put out about 720 chairs for guests, according to Erin Munz, Sumter County Teen Court coordinator, and almost all of the seats were filled by the time Pompeo arrived to speak. Steve Printz, Sumter County commissioner, said he was thrilled that Pompeo was gracious enough to want to stop in Sumter and talk about the State Department. “I hope it’s because he recognizes that we’re critical to the long-term success of this state,” Printz said, “and being able to provide a solid block of support for this president.” Jerry Prince, president of The Villages Republican Club, said he thought the speech went well. “He’s a dynamic guy,” Prince said. After completing his remarks, Pompeo received another standing ovation, then spent about 15 minutes shaking hands before leaving. Nine-year-old Shaylyn Stafford, of Bushnell, said she was excited to meet the secretary of state because he was an important person who was going to make things better. After having her picture taken with Pompeo, she ran over to her mom, Kara Stafford, and expressed her excitement at having the opportunity to pose with a “famous person.” Staff writer Alexandria Mansfield can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5401, or alexandria.mansfield@thevillagesmedia.com. |
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo rallies Trump supporters in Bushnell
By Catherine Hawley Sumter County FOX 13 News America is loved overseas, Pompeo says Catherine Hawley reports BUSHNELL, Fla. - A member of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet stopped int he Bay Area Thursday. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a stop in Sumter County, speaking to a crowd of about 400 at the Sumter County Fairgrounds. Trump won Sumter County with nearly 70% of the vote in the 2016 election. The crowd that came out to hear from Pompeo was excited, many wearing red and showing support for the president. “To have a chance to hear Secretary Pompeo was just a delight, I was so thrilled to hear he was coming,” said Margaret Mastalka. Trump supporters wait to hear from Secretary Pompeo “He’s a very important man and I wanted to hear what he had to say,” Joaquin Gomez said. Pompeo took to the mic for nearly 20 minutes, covering a variety of topics including American values, religious freedom, and the president's foreign policy. Pompeo told the crowd he has traveled to almost 60 countries in the 20 months he’s been Secretary of State, and says overseas there is a deep love for our nation. “America will prevail, we should all bet on our nation, we should all support the foreign policy that has been laid out, and we should all work together to make sure we deliver each and every day a safer, more secure, more prosperous United States of America,” said Pompeo. The visit was to talk about policy, but it was also political. Over the last month, Pompeo, Vice President Mike Pence, as well as Trump have all rallied along the I-4 corridor. “I think he came here because Florida is a very important state,” Mastalka said. “It’s important to turn out the Republican vote in Florida because we have a very strong Republican presence here in this area.” The visits by the political leaders are also a way to connect with the people who got Trump elected and remind them their vote counts. “A lot of love from the people that are here for Trump,” said Gomez. Before coming to the Sumter County, Pompeo was in Miami meeting with Governor DeSantis. |
Skype Interview Opportunities - Contact by Email tvconservativemedia@gmail.com
![]() What's Next Aileen?
Host: Aileen Milton Founder & President of TVCM Filmed By: The Villages Conservative Media thevillagesconservativemedia.com tvconservativemedia@gmail.com The Villages Conservative Media Growing and Expanding
Stay informed on the many issues facing America. New Skype Interviews will allow us the freedom to speak and get updates from many of The Villages Tea Party's previous guest speakers while opening our hearts and minds to the new doors and opportunities coming our way. The 2020 Elections Are Coming!! Keeping up with our President Donald J Trump. |
![]() ![]() GOT ROKU
ADD Freedom in America to your Roku Channel Selection Sign up and add owner.roku.com/add/BIGVFIA01 GET ROKU To Watch The Villages Conservative Media & The Villages Tea Party on your TV After you sign in to your Roku account, it should take you to the "ADD CHANNEL" area. Failing that, sign into your Roku account and go to this page: https://my.roku.com/account/add The code is BIGVFIA01 Enter it in the space and then hit ADD CHANNEL. You might have to reboot your Roku device to get it to install. Some do, some don't. When you get it, it will be at the very bottom of your channel list. You can move it by hitting the '*' function button and move it to where you want it to be. ![]() thevillagesteaparty.org
thevillagesteaparty21@gmail.com |