Hundreds of people — both out-of-state travelers and local residents — descended on the White House grounds on Saturday for President Donald Trump’s first public event since contracting coronavirus several days ago.

The president addressed his supporters — clad in matching blue shirts, red MAGA hats — from the South Lawn, following a rally on the Ellipse earlier in the day organized by conservative activist and Trump supporter Candace Owens. Dubbed “BLEXIT Back the Blue,” the event sought to push Black Americans to leave the Democratic party and called for supporting law enforcement.

In his campaign-rally-style speech (which lasted only 17 minutes) Trump focused on his support of Black and Latino voters and sounded off many of his signature law-and-order remarks.

Silver Spring resident Michael Yadeta is Ethiopian-American and came out to Saturday’s event in support of Trump. He said he has not seen the Democratic party make the effort to reach out to Black communities like the Republicans — and Trump — have.

“It’s America, we need to be together and that’s why I’m here,” Yadeta said. “There is no better president that can put a platform for Black, and Latino, and everybody than this president, and I saw that myself. I handshake the president…I didn’t meet any Democratic Party.”

Over the past 40 years, Black voters have consistently leaned Democratic, according to the Pew Research Center. Only 6% of Black voters in 2016 voted for Trump, and 28% of Latino voters supported the president.

Miriam Banda came to D.C. Saturday with a group of born-again Christian women from Houston, who prayed and chanted for the president while standing on Constitution Ave. across from the White House.

“[Trump] understands Christian principles,” Banda said. “I believe in him because God is using him…and guiding him through everything.”

Banda, who immigrated from Guatemala over 30 years ago and became an American citizen, spoke to DCist in Spanish. She says she understands why Trump wants to build a wall on the southern border.

“This country has rules and unfortunately we have to follow the rules,” Banda said. “Many of us did come illegally many years ago, but then we followed the law. So [Trump] has to follow the law.”

Following Trump’s speech, several BLEXIT attendees took to the streets of downtown D.C. for a peaceful protest, chanting “back the blue” and “blue lives matter.” While many of the rally-goers wore masks on Saturday, the event drew sharp criticism in light of Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis on Oct. 2, and his return from the hospital on Monday. As the number of coronavirus cases connected to the president (and to a “super-spreader” event in the Rose Garden on Sept. 26) totals more than two dozen, D.C. officials and local congressional members have called on the White House to enforce coronavirus precautions and for staff to get tested.