Crowds show for Trump visit to Kalispell

KALISPELL —When law enforcement opened the gate to allow attendees to start lining up at Kalispell’s Majestic Valley Arena at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, more than 60 people waiting in a nearby neighborhood on foot started the trek to the venue.

President Donald Trump is visiting Flathead County as part of a midterm rally swing taking him to almost a dozen states during two weeks. He spoke in Alaska on Tuesday evening, in Arizona Wednesday afternoon, and is expected in Kalispell around 5 p.m.

Gayle Pettyjohn, 77, was one of the first people in line Wednesday morning.

“It’s not everyday you get to see the president,” she said. “This will likely be my only chance.”

Pettyjohn said she has already voted her ballot – Republican all the way down – and says Montana has an “excellent roster” of candidates running for election.

By noon, the general admission line had already filled the serpentine barricades set up and was winding its down to the field serving as a parking area.

Working the lines en route to the VIP entrance were Republican legislators and candidates, state GOP chairman Art Wittich, and Flathead County Republican Central Committee Chairman Giuseppe Caltabiano.

“We are very excited and thrilled that our president would come and visit our beautiful valley,” Caltabiano said. “I invite everyone to have an attitude of respect and unity for the office of the President, because the office of the President belongs to the whole country, not to half of the country.”

Montana’s western congressional distract, a seat held by retiring Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke, is the state’s most competitive federal race this cycle, with Republican Aaron Flint and Democrat Sam Forstag in a race that polls within the margin of error.

Flint and Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kurt Alme will speak tonight, as will a lineup of statewide elected officials including Gov. Greg Gianforte.