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On Friday, Sept. 13, over 50 supporters of former President Donald Trump gathered along El Camino Park near Stanford Shopping Center to rally in support for his 2024 campaign. Attendees waved their flags and banners as some drivers honked and cheered in support. On the other side of the road was a smaller group of six supporters for Vice President Kamala Harris who got together after hearing about the Trump rally on Thursday.
Trump supporters rallied ahead of an afternoon fundraiser hosted by tech entrepreneur Tom Siebel in Woodside. Another rally was being held at the Pioneer Saloon in Woodside at 1 p.m. Many drivers honked in support of Trump or Harris.
At one particularly contentious point of the rally, a UPS driver stopped in the parking lot behind the Harris supporters to shout out at them. He later turned around to show his support to the Trump rally on the other side of the road.
Moms for America, a national organization advocating against gender dysphoria, sexualization of school curriculum and child trafficking, organized a walkathon for the rally. Nancy Githoitho, the San Francisco group leader for Moms for America, said she wants to encourage mothers to register and vote for Trump.
“We’re all about empowering moms, bringing moms together, educating them to raise patriots in America,” said Githoitho, who immigrated to the United States from Kenya 25 years ago.
Moms for America members and supporters sported purple T-shirts that said “Moms Walkathon” as they stood alongside Trump supporters. The walkathon occurred an hour into the rally along the sidewalk of the park.
Harris rally organizer David Page held a sign that read “Trump ate my cat.” He said he thinks Republicans should be pressuring Trump to drop out of the race the same way Democrats did to President Joe Biden back in June, especially given Trump’s performance during the Sept. 10 presidential debate.
Page and Stephanie, a Harris supporter, both expressed concerns about Trump’s cognitive abilities and his age. “Why would you want to support someone who is emotionally disturbed to be the president?” he questioned.
“I’m a teacher and I believe that a democracy is completely based on having civil conversations with different perspectives,” Stephanie said. Stephanie, who asked to only be identified by her first name, is married to a registered Republican, who was invited to the Trump rally but joined her side of the road with a sign supporting Harris.
“It’s important for us to have a mature civil conversation with differences,” she added.
Some Trump supporters traveled from outside the area. One supporter, Raymond, drove from Fremont to wave his flag in support of Trump. He asked this news publication to identify him by first name only. He said he didn’t plan on attending the rally but when he heard about it the day before he decided to take the opportunity to show his support in place of his friend who couldn’t make it.
Democrat counter-protesters waved to cars on Palo Alto’s El Camino Real opposite a group of Trump supporters who had gathered to welcome former President Donald Trump to the area on Sept. 13, 2024. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
Freddy L. of San Mateo waves a ‘Latinos for Trump’ banner at a gathering of Trump supporters along Palo Alto’s El Camino Real on Sept. 13, 2024. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
Moms for America group leader Nancy Githoitho greets 3-year-old Harper K. at a gathering of Trump supporters along Palo Alto’s El Camino Real on Sept. 13, 2024. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
Trump merchandise for sale at a gathering along Palo Alto’s El Camino Real to welcome former President Donald Trump to the area on Sept. 13, 2024. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
Dozens attended a gathering along Palo Alto’s El Camino Real to welcome former President Donald Trump to the area on Sept. 13, 2024. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
Trump supporters Sutton Vo, left, and Long Dang, right, of San Jose wave flags and chant during a gathering of Trump supporters along Palo Alto’s El Camino Real on Sept. 13, 2024. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney.
“It’s not about politics. I stand for America,” said Raymond, who describes himself as an American with a Mexican heritage. “I’m always an American first and I support Trump because his policy has proven to put America and its 50 states above all a priority.”
Members of the Vietnamese American community also voiced their support for Trump while waving the flag of South Vietnam and a banner that said “Vietnamese Americans for Trump.” Van, a member of the group, said they believe Trump’s politics will stop the United States from becoming a communist nation. They asked to only be identified by their first name.
“The Vietnamese community, we are different from other communities. We came here, we ran away from communism. I don’t want America to follow the communist and destroy the country,” said Van, a Vietnamese Marine who immigrated to the United States 40 years ago.
Winnie M., who immigrated from China in 1990, stated that she’s seen what a communist nation looks like and doesn’t want the same thing to happen in the United States. “Only Trump can take our country back,” said Winnie, who asked to only be identified by her first name and first initial of her last name.
Patricia Verity, a Palo Alto native from Santa Clara County, expressed her appreciation in seeing all the “different people, different nationalities and different walks of life” showing up for the rally.
She adds that “unity” is what brought her out to the rally. Verity views the upcoming election as not a divide between the left versus the right but rather as the people versus the government.
The Harris supporters were originally planning to hold their rally at the park, but after consulting with local law enforcement, they were advised to stand on the other side of the street to prevent any chaos.
I went to the rally at El Camino Park, very incognito and neutral. Typical ultra MAGA talking points but no signs of QAnon . Still, plenty of wacky conspiracy theory undertones and expropriation of of the term “Patriot”.
Harmless little gathering though. There is a small minority of MAGA cult followers in the community, and they showed up yesterday in all their glory.
I guess you didn’t read the article, Mike D?: “It’s important for us to have a mature civil conversation with differences”.
It can be challenging to have a mature conversation when the arguments aren’t based in fact. “They’re eating the cats!” And also, when one side of the argument questions a person’s right to exist, they are not entitled to a civil response. There is no evidence that Harris and Walz are leading us to communism, but that claim is made daily. If someone lies about me, they’ve kind of forfeited the civil conversation bit, don’t you think?