Trump rally in Ocala draws anticipation and a lawsuit

The drama surrounding President Donald Trump's campaign rally in Ocala on Friday was in full swing on Thursday, with at least one supporter already in line for the event and one opponent filing a lawsuit to block it out of concern for COVID-19 spread.

The lawsuit, which was filed Wednesday in Marion County Circuit Court, is asking for a hearing before a judge before the 4 p.m. Friday rally at Ocala International Airport. As of 5 p.m. Thursday, a hearing had not been set before Judge Edward Leon Scott.

Upon hearing the news of the lawsuit, many Trump supporters said halting the event would be a violation of the President’s First Amendment right to free speech.

“Without a doubt this is a freedom of speech situation,” said Michael J. Saxe, a lifelong Republican who ran unsuccessfully for Marion County Commission. “If people want to go, and they are concerned, they can wear masks. If they are really concerned, they don’t have to go.”

A self-proclaimed Trump super fan says nothing will stop the president. Gene Huber, of Brooksville, has been camping out on Southwest 60th Avenue near the airport since Wednesday.

“They will lose and will continue to lose,” Huber said of the current lawsuit and others that may come in the future. “It’s not going to stop us. The Trump Train is moving forward.”  

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Marion County resident Chanae Jackson, who has two teenage children who were diagnosed with COVID-19 in July. 

The lawsuit notes that Jackson's daughter had mild symptoms, while her son had a very severe case. He had a 103-degree fever and had breathing issues for 11 days. He developed pneumonia in both lungs.

"Chanae Jackson and her family cannot afford to experience COVID-19 again,'' the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit says that the Ocala area “has already experienced a devastating level of COVID-19 exposure" and that Trump could still be contagious and his supporters will likely not wear masks.

“Trump’s appearance while infected – in defiance of his own experts’ guidance – will embolden hundreds of his supporters to attend unmasked and undistanced,” and could lead to more infections in Marion County,” the suit states.

Mayor Kent Guinn said Thursday that City Attorney Patrick Gilligan is reviewing the lawsuit. Guinn, who vetoed city’s mask mandate and was out of town Thursday afternoon, said he would be returning to Ocala to learn more about the lawsuit.

The lawsuit comes as COVID-19 cases in Marion County continue to be low compared with when they peaked on Aug. 1, when the seven-day positivity rate was 19.9% and the average daily cases hit 263 for a week.

Marion County’s seven-day positivity rate dropped from 4% on Wednesday to 3.75% on Thursday, data shows.

Marion County recorded 43 new cases on Thursday, bringing the total to 10,301. On Wednesday, the Florida Department of Health received 952 negative test results for Marion County. Of all tests reported Wednesday, 4.61% were positive.

Though daily cases have dropped, deaths are still rising by several per day. There were four more deaths reported in Marion on Thursday, bringing the total to 334.

The Florida Department of Health in Marion issued a written statement when asked if they had any comment about whether they are concerned about the large event. Officials estimate that 5,000 to 12,000 people may attend.

“As with any event, we recommend that residents follow basic precautions to prevent the possible spread of COVID-19,” said Christy Jergens, spokeswoman with the local health department.

She said that “means staying home if you feel sick, practicing social distancing and wearing a cloth face covering/mask when unable to practice social distancing.”

“If you are someone who is vulnerable to COVID-19, it’s recommended to take additional precautions, such as avoiding large gatherings,” she noted.

Jackson’s attorney is Daniel Uhlfelder, a Santa Rosa Beach attorney who also filed a lawsuit against Trump and the city of Sanford to halt that airport rally a week ago. The judge in that case ruled that decisions for such events should be left to the local jurisdictions.

Uhfelder, who also filed a lawsuit ahead of the now-canceled Miami town hall featuring Trump and Democratic nominee Sen. Joe Biden, is also known for dressing as the Grim Reaper to protest the reopening of Florida beaches in May.

Uhfelder said he hopes that filing the lawsuits will save lives.

“We're trying to protect Floridians from the threat of this virus,” Uhfelder said in a phone interview. “He (Trump) is infected and coming to an event that will draw a lot of people, which is not consistent with the guidelines. The president is traveling all over Florida super-spreading this virus.”

He said the event is a danger to the health and safety of the community.

“It’s a smack in the face to those people who are trying to social distance, who are trying to follow the rules,” he noted. “To hold these events is disgusting. It’s unhealthy. ... It’s un-American.”

He concluded that his concern is only about the health and safety of Floridians.

“It’s not about politics, it is about health,” he said. “If he (Trump) cares about the health and well-being of Floridians, he should respect them and not participate and encourage events that are dangerous.”

Joe Callahan can be reached at joe.callahan@starbanner.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeOcalaNews.