Former President Donald Trump’s rally is set for early Friday afternoon in northern Aurora, at the Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center. He is scheduled to take the stage at 1 p.m., and The Denver Post will stream the rally on this page. This story will be updated throughout the day. 11:49 a.m. update: U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert asked the crowd if they were ready “to position yourself for the good fight of faith?” Flanked by two TV screens displaying her speech, Boebert cracked jokes about Hunter Biden “scurrying out of a laptop repair shop” and said “our backyards are looking like ‘Narcos,’ ” a reference to the Netflix show about Colombian drug cartels. She also called out 9News anchor Kyle Clark, which sparked a wave of boos from the crowd. She referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as “Cacklin’ Kamala” and said undocumented immigrants should be deported. 11:42 a.m. update: State Rep. Gabe Evans, who’s running a tight race in the 8th Congressional District in the north Denver suburbs, spoke to the crowd. RELATED: Trump’s sold-out Aurora rally is chance to prove it’s “not a city overrun by Venezuelan gangs,” mayor says “We are going to flip this seat,” Evans said; the 8th District is currently held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo. “And we can make sure that Donald Trump has a Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.” Evans was followed by Jeff Crank, the likely favored candidate for the 5th Congressional District, which covers most of El Paso County. Crank blasted the “failed policies of Joe Biden, an economy that makes it harder for working class Americans to get by.” When he called Colorado a “sanctuary state,” the crowd booed. “Unfortunately,” Crank said, “it’s a sanctuary for crime and drugs, and we need to take back Colorado.” 11:39 a.m. update: Aron Weinstock, who lives in Littleton, was excited about the rally’s turnout as he waited to enter the Gaylord building. “In the city, you’re there by yourself,” he said. “You come to a rally like this and you see how many actually do support (Trump).” Weinstock is a Colorado native and said he wished it was more of a red state. “Everything that’s going on in our country right now is because of the Democratic side of government,” he said. “The Democratic Party is full of lies.” 11:34 update: Luke Bollwerk, an Aurora resident, stood in line for the rally with a sign that read: “Aurora is a shining light and a beautiful place to live.” He said he was trying to rebut the rumors voiced about Aurora in recent weeks. “Trump has been talking about (Aurora) being a war zone, and that’s not the city I woke up in,” Bollwerk said. “That hurts us.” He plans to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election and said he would bring the sign into the Trump rally if he was allowed. 11:26 a.m. update: The rally’s program began shortly after 11 a.m., with Colorado Republican Party chair Dave Williams taking the stage. On either side of the stage were large mugshots and two signs that read, “End migrant crime.” People were still filing into the Gaylord’s 10,000-capacity ballroom as Williams was followed by a pastor and John “Tig” Tiegen, who survived the 2012 Benghazi terror attack on two U.S. government sites in Libya. He led the room in the Pledge of Allegiance. 11:24 a.m. update: Two hours before the rally began Friday morning, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and four members of Colorado’s U.S. congressional delegation spoke at a brewery in Aurora and criticized what Sen. Michael Bennett described as Trump’s decision to visit the city and “demonize immigrants, lie and to serve his own political purposes.” The event was a short drive from the Edge of Lowry apartments, the troubled and dilapidated complex that drew national attention — including from Trump — amid reports that the buildings had been overrun by a Venezuelan gang. U.S. Sen John Hickenlooper and U.S. Reps. Jason Crow and Diana DeGette also spoke at Cheluna Brewing at the Stanley Marketplace. Crow said he wanted to “stand in solidarity, to send a very strong message about what this community really is, what we really mean and what we really represent.” “Donald Trump invited himself to tell lies, to twist and distort (the apartment issues) for his own terrible purposes,” Crow added. “We will not tolerate it.” Supporters of former President Donald Trump arrived early to a campaign rally at the Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center in Aurora on Oct. 11, 2024. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post) 10:53 a.m. update: Police have established a heavy presence around the Gaylord Rockies. A small group of four people stood near Jericho Street and Gaylord Rockies Boulevard, holding signs and a flag supporting the Democrats’ Harris-Walz campaign. But a sea of Trump supporters crowded the sidewalk leading to the resort, chanting and wearing Trump’s trademark red “Make America Great Again” hats. Original reporting: Former President Donald Trump is coming to Aurora on Friday, and supporters began lining up outside the Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center before dawn, hours before his really is set to begin. Roads near the venue were experiencing heavy traffic mid-morning, especially on East 64th Avenue and on Peña Boulevard, the primary access route to Denver International Airport. Travelers should also expect some delays in coming hours as police make accommodations for Trump’s motorcade between DIA and the Gaylord. (Tip for travelers heading to DIA: Take E-470, a toll road, to access Peña from the north or south. Or take RTD’s A-Line train to bypass roads.) Doors were expected to open at 9 a.m, and Trump’s remarks are set to begin at 1 p.m., barring any delays. 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Trump’s campaign says the rally has sold out of free tickets. Though the campaign didn’t disclose how many attendees are expected, the Gaylord’s front desk told The Denver Post on Thursday that the event would be in a space with a capacity of 10,000. He is set to depart sometime later in the afternoon for a Friday evening rally in Reno, Nevada, that’s set to begin at 6:30 p.m. mountain time. Stay up-to-date with Colorado Politics by signing up for our weekly newsletter, The Spot.