Security for Trump visit par for the course

Security at the Hilton Head Westin had about two weeks' notice that Donald Trump was making a campaign stop in the hotel's ballroom.

Not that they necessarily needed all that time to prep for the presidential candidate and the crowd of thousands that came to see him Wednesday.

"We're actually prepared for this," Gerald Speaks said between checking incoming cars for credentials at the hotel's front gate.

Speaks, the hotel's security supervisor, said the hotel is accustomed to hosting big events with heavy security.

"We can adapt to any situation," he said. "We're pretty good at that."

THE SUPPORTERS

But before Wednesday's speech, before the motorcade and before armed law enforcement converged on the hotel, an overflow crowd of supporters stood in line for hours, hopeful of seeing -- perhaps even meeting -- the business leader turned political outsider. The crowd, primarily white, spanned many demographics. Male, female. Young, old. Blue collar, white collar. Golf shirts to trucker hats.

Some drove as far as nine hours just in hopes of a close encounter with The Donald.

One of those in line was Marianne Zuidema, a retired nurse from New Jersey. She said she used to occasionally speak to Trump's father when Fred Trump would call to check in on one of her patients who was in real estate.

"He was a very nice man," she said of the elder Trump.

Marianne was joined by her daughter Donna, who held a copy of one of Trump's books, hopeful of having it signed during the scheduled 9:30 a.m. meet and greet.

"It's 9:30 now," she noted, looking back at two massive lines, neither moving, waiting to get inside the ballroom.

If time became an issue, she joked, maybe security would be persuaded by a $20 bribe to get the autograph.

Why do they support Trump?

"He tells it like it is," Donna replied. "He's not afraid to say what everyone else is thinking. He doesn't have to answer to anybody."

"He's the only one that can beat Hillary," Marianne chimed in.

THE ONLOOKERS

Amy Tilley watched from a bench as organized lines of hundreds of people slowly filed into the hotel.

Tilley and her husband, Kim, were hotel guests, visiting from Greensboro, N.C. They said they didn't know about the campaign stop until they woke that morning. And despite the crowd of thousands, it hadn't affected their stay.

"It's great for people watching," Amy Tilley said as shuttle buses pulled up to the front entrance.

Kim Tilley said that regardless of political affiliation, Trump's campaign had been effective in drawing in disenfranchised voters who didn't feel they had a say in Washington.

"But I don't think he'll get the nomination," Kim added.

So what happens to those thousands of supporters if Trump is bested at the polls? Do they gravitate to another candidate or just give up?

"I think they give up," he said.

This story was originally published December 30, 2015 at 2:15 PM with the headline "Security for Trump visit par for the course."