GOP front-runner Donald Trump rally draws 10,000 in Tampa

TAMPA -- With the Florida primary little more than a month away, Donald Trump's message to the standing-room-only crowd of supporters Friday: Get out and vote.

"You have to go out and vote. Otherwise, we are wasting our time," the front-runner in many polls for the Republican presidential nominee said. "The movement ends."

More than 10,000 supporters of all ages, wearing the infamous "Make America Great" hat, Trump T-shirts and holding Trump flags and signs, filled the University of South Florida Sun Dome in Tampa to listen to Trump talk for about an hour about how he is going to "Make America Great Again." Some Trump supporters even painted "Trump" across their chests

and one supporter held a sign that said "I have my Trump card."

"The energy is incredible," Trump said. "I think we have a really good chance. ... We are going to win again and again. We are going to win so much."

The winner-take-all Florida primary is March 15.

"Florida is probably going to determine who our next president is going to be," said Joe Gruters, Trump's Florida campaign chairman.

During the rally, Trump talked about building a wall at the Mexico-United States border, criticized his opponents and the media and called himself "the greatest job-creating president that God ever created."

"This is the message of optimism. A lot of optimism," Trump said. "I am working for one group of people and that's this group of people."

Wearing the famous red "Make America Great" hat, Jim Parsons traveled from Lakeland to hear Trump speak for the first time. The 29-year-old said hearing Trump is historic.

"I think it is a bit of American history getting to experience an outsider doing really well in campaign," Parsons said.

As a second-time voter, his brother, 24-year-old Alex Parsons, also of Lakeland, said he thought it would be "an excellent cultural activity."

"The man knows what he wants and he is going to say it," he said.

It was also Natalie Linville of New Port Richey's first time seeing Trump speak.

"I'm here because Donald Trump supports law enforcement, and I don't see it in any other campaign, and my brother is a police officer," she said.

For Rick Flood, a Tampa resident and Iraq War veteran, Trump is "the only one who makes sense."

"To listen to Hillary (Clinton) or Bernie (Sanders) is infuriating, so we are here representing," he said. "He is going to rebuild military and give respect we deserve when we come home. He is going to do best to protect the Second Amendment."

Tampa resident Barbara Vaka said she was at the rally because she is going to vote for Trump.

"I think he's got some fresh ideas," she said. "He's been a businessman and been very successful. He speaks from his heart. He stays away from negative campaigning, which I loathe."

Trump said there is love no matter where he goes.

"I don't consider it me," he said. "I think our message is right. A lot of people said nobody else has the message that we have and basically it's we are going to win again. We are not going to take this stuff. We are going to start winning with our military. We are going to win with health care. We are going to terminate Obamacare."

Claire Aronson, Manatee County reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7024. Follow her on Twitter @Claire_Aronson.

This story was originally published February 12, 2016 at 11:51 PM with the headline "GOP front-runner Donald Trump rally draws 10,000 in Tampa ."