The event came just a day after the president and Republicans in Congress failed to get enough Republican support to hold a vote to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. The party, though it has a large majority, was too divided to pass the measure.
The president's supporters didn't show disappointment, however — the "Make America Great Again" march at the Indiana Statehouse was one of over 40 occurring throughout the nation over the weekend.
One supporter, Indianapolis resident Sandy Hill, said she attended the march to exercise her First Amendment rights.
“It’s my right to protest and my right to have my voice heard, and I feel like Donald Trump really hasn’t been given a chance," Hill said. "Just here to support and make America great again."
Hill, like many of the other protestors, carried flags as she marched. In one hand she carried an American flag. In the other, a miniature LGBTQ pride flag.
"Trump supporters are much more inclusive than the other side wants to say we are," Hill said. "They want to brand us with all kind of labels like racist or homophobic, xenophobic, misogynistic — but if you actually get down and talk to actual Trump supporters, you’ll see that some can be very inclusive and a very diverse group."
Although Hill's ideologies and values don't align with the majority of GOP supporters — about half of GOP voters who back Trump say they oppose same-sex marriage, according to Pew Research — she said others like her do exist.
For James Hurst, a Lafayette resident, Trump and his plans for the country are what influenced him to join the march.
"I came here mainly to show support for President Trump because I believe in all of the things that he is trying to do and get accomplished, and I think we need it, right now," Hurst said.
Ball State alumni, including 2010 graduate Matt Canale, were present at the event, too.
"I’m not like a die-hard Republican, conservative kind of guy," Canale said. "Instead, I'm looking for more of like an alternative approach to a president."
When Canale attended Ball State, he defined himself as a liberal. But after leaving the university, his political views changed — something he credits to the life experiences he's had since graduating.
"I lived in Seattle for a number of years, and I think that sort of shaped my political views. I saw the absurdity of extreme liberalism, and after living in Indiana, I kind of see the absurdity in extreme conservatism," Canale said. "I like to think that life experiences, living in both areas, shaped me politically."
Bryn Foreman, a member of the anti-fascist group Antifa Indianapolis, came to the march to counter-protest. The group didn't bring any signs, but instead, made their presence known with their voices.
"[Using our voices] and yelling was actually inspired by something I saw on the internet because I’m a true millennial," Foreman said. "I guess it is aggressive, but it’s not physical, and it’s literally just like voicing over [the marchers'] voices."
Foreman began yelling "no" into a microphone in front of the Statehouse to counter the marchers, but was pulled away by Indiana State Police officers.
Foreman was one of few who showed up to oppose the march and was not arrested or charged with a crime.
“Everyone I care about has been really deeply affected by this presidency and people’s lives are being changed by it," Foreman said. "There’s just something really concerning about white men aligning themselves with Nazis and calling it a political movement."
Foreman and Hill attempted to discuss their views with one another, but their different approaches, Hill said, added an extra layer of difficulty.
"We’re not going to accomplish anything by just screaming," Hill said. "There needs to be a conversation — a civil conversation — about our different views, and hopefully in the end we can all come together and unite."
ISP Public Information Officer John Perrine said in an email that no arrests were made at the march.
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