President Trump kicks off 2020 re-election campaign in Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. — President Donald Trump kicked off his 2020 reelection campaign in Orlando, Florida, on Tuesday.

Thousands filled the Amway Center in the heart of downtown Orlando in the all-important I-4 corridor to hear from the president.

Action News Jax anchor Tenikka Hughes was there for the speech.

Early in Trump’s speech, he made it clear he chose to kick off his reelection bid in Florida for a reason, calling it his second home, and then he referred to the Sunshine State as his first home.

The event took place at the Amway Center and was expected to bring at least 20,000 people.

Florida Gov. Ron Desantis and his wife, Casey, met the president and first lady when they landed in Orlando and attended the rally.

Prior to Trump taking the stage, his sons and Vice President Mike Pence primed the crowd.

“If you want, join us and reelect Trump … We've made America great again in 2 1/2 years.” Pence said.

Trump addressed his critics and, once again, claimed his innocence in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. He also focused on what he considers some of his key accomplishments so far in office, including the crackdown on immigration, the effort to dismantle the Islamic State group, and low unemployment rates.

On the road to 2020, it appears Trump isn't changing his playbook but asking voters for more time to stay the course. "We've done so much: military, tax cuts, Obamacare … I won't let you down. I won't," Trump said.

The president also adopted a new 2020 campaign motto tonight, moving on from “Make America great again” to “Keep America great.”

A few blocks away from the Amway Center, there was a counter-rally called "Win With Love."

Before Hughes got to the Trump rally, she talked to one of the organizers of "Win With Love" about the message the rally hoped to send. “So, I feel like I have to do something and this is one of the things. I’ve gotten real active with the Democratic club and DEC in Sumter County. We've to get him out of office."

Sen. Bernie Sanders gave a Democratic response to the president's rally in Orlando.