LAKELAND, Fla. (WFLA) – Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump held a rally in Lakeland on Wednesday. Trump is campaigning across Florida this week in an effort to regain support amidst his latest controversy.

Trump held the rally at Lakeland Linder Airport. He arrived in dramatic fashion with the crowd watching as his plane landed and he stepped off of it.

People started lining up for the rally at 4:30 a.m. Zack Hillis arrived at the airport 10 and a half hours before Trump was scheduled to take the stage. He traveled all the way from North Dakota to the Tampa Bay area just for this rally.

Hillis defended Trump’s vulgar comments regarding women that were caught on tape. “If that offends you, and you have never heard stuff like that, I don’t know if you are living in a fantasy land or what. Sure it’s a politician, he wasn’t a politician when he said that stuff,” Hillis said.

Trump has described this conversation as “locker room talk”.

John and Elizabeth Sigafoose, from Davenport agree. “Some women could be what he says and then there’s women who are what he says so, and plus, it was locker room, so doesn’t bother me at all,” Elizabeth said. “When you consider both candidates, both of them have said things that they probably shouldn’t have said, they’ve done things that they shouldn’t of done, but on the other hand who’s perfect,” John said.

The couple arrived at the rally early to get a spot. “Lately they have been selling out. We wanted to make sure we got in,” John said.

Protesters also planned to be at the airport, criticizing what they call the “Trump Tape” and his comments about women.