President Donald Trump made a stop in Granite City, Illinois, today to talk about the positive impact his tariffs are having on U.S. Steel's Granite City Works plant. Despite the chance of rain, hundreds of protesters and supporters came out for the visit.

The protesters (organized by Action Metro East and numerous other groups, including many from St. Louis) met in Civic Park, while supporters lined up on 19^th Street for a chance to see the President’s motorcade pass by. Two inflatable "Trump chicken" balloons marked the meeting point.

“He got a lot of the union vote," said Larry Allen a retiree who worked at Laclede Steel as he stood with a cardboard cutout of Trump. “We’re not looking for a saint. We are looking for someone with our values.” There were arguments between the groups and one arrest near Civic Park, but most of the crowds dispersed after the motorcade made it to the plant.

-- Photography and text by Daniel Shular

July 26, 2018