Supporters line up as protesters prepare for Trump rally in Wasilla

WASILLA, Alaska. People coming to see President Donald Trump on Tuesday parked as far as a mile from the shuttle pickup near Church on the Rock, then joined a long line for a ride to his rally.

Across town at Newcomb Park, beside Wasilla Lake, protesters were setting up a stage and sound equipment.

Trump is scheduled to speak at 3:30 pm at the Menard Memorial Sports Center, according to the official event listing. Wasilla police and Alaska State Troopers closed roads around the center and barred pedestrian access to it and to the closed streets. Clapp Street between the Parks Highway and Mack Drive, along with Beacon Street and Aviation Avenue, is closed from 8 am to 6 pm. The agencies warned drivers to expect delays of up to 30 minutes on the Glenn and Parks highways between Anchorage and Wasilla throughout the day.

The Federal Aviation Administration has also posted flight restrictions for the visit. A no-fly zone for VIP security reaches 30 nautical miles around Anchorage and Wasilla, phased in from 2 to 7:30 pm, and drones are banned over part of Anchorage from 3:35 to 10:15 pm.

Trump wrote Sunday that the stop is meant to help reelect Sen. Dan Sullivan and Rep. Nick Begich, both of whom he has endorsed. The visit comes three weeks before the Nov. 3 election, in which Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan faces Democratic former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola and Republicans Gerald Heikes and Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. It follows Vice President J.D. Vance's Oct. 5 rally for Sullivan and Begich in Fairbanks.

Mat-Su United for Progress and Stand UP Alaska organized the park event, set for 1:30 to 4 pm, with Blackwater Railroad Company expected to perform. Its event listing says, "Mat-Su is not a political coronation, and he should not expect a warm welcome from everyone here!" The Alaska Democratic Party advertised a separate, Sullivan-focused gathering at Wasilla Lake from 1 to 2 pm.

Some demonstrators were already lining the road, holding signs and waving to passing drivers.