Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump took on two gatherings in Central Florida Thursday, including a  meeting with 700 evangelical leaders.

Trump took the stage at Silver Spurs Arena Thursday evening and opened right up with opponent Hillary Clinton's emails, then segued into taxes and jobs.

"She wants to raise taxes, we're going to cut taxes down to a level we haven't seen in many, many years," Trump said. "And we're going to bring our jobs back, we're gonna bring our jobs back to Florida, back to our country."

Some of the popular talking points shared with the sea of supporters like building a wall along the Mexican border, cracking down on immigration and fighting ISIS were received with cheers and chants. That same enthusiasm echoed when Trump repeated a controversial statement claiming that President Barack Obama is connected to terrorism.

Trump pride was loud and clear at the Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, drawing some colorful paraphernalia and costumes. Waiting at the front of line was David Deese and his daughter Victoria.

“She wanted to see Trump so bad, so we’re here,” he said.

“I think he can make the country better and we don’t want our first woman president," his daughter said. "We want him.”

When the Republican presidential nominee took to the stage, he was quick to criticize his opponent Hillary Clinton.

“So much corruption," Trump said. "So much is being learned. Aren’t emails a wonderful thing?”

The disparagement didn’t end there. Throughout the hour-long speech, Trump highlighted what he felt is wrong with America.

“We have problems with trade, borders, educational system,” Trump said.

The Republican presidential nominee declared that under his leadership he would rebuild the military, erect a wall along the Mexican border, protect the second amendment and keep jobs in America.

“I think if you run the country like a business, that it might help economically,” Deese said.

That business skill touted by Trump is what he said led him to want to run for president.

“I didn’t have to do this," he said. "I was having a very nice life.” 

The event wasn't without incident in the audience where a handful of people were ejected. 

At the beginning of the rally, a Confederate flag was hung near the stage. Deputies were called over and ended up escorting a couple of men out of the building.

The flag was later replaced with an American flag. 

Trump speaks to evangelical pastors in Orlando

Trump took the stage this afternoon at the Orange County Convention Center, where the American Renewal Project is hosting the two-day meeting.

Trump talked about his plan to repeal the Johnson Amendment, which prohibits tax-exempt organizations, such as churches, from endorsing or advocating for political candidates.

"I'm going to take this into my own hands and figure out a way to get your freedom back and if elected, to totally knock out the Johnson Amendment," Trump said.

Trump has talked repeatedly about the need to repeal the Johnson amendment, a law passed in the 1950s and championed by Lyndon B. Johnson (before he was president), that restricts tax-exempt charitable grounds under Section 501(c)(3) from taking part in partisan politics.

That includes religious groups, but also charitable, scientific and educational groups.

Trump's interest attempts to get evangelicals behind him go back to the primaries, when he held a meeting with evangelicals in New York.

Trump asked the pastors to get their people out to vote, not just in Florida but elsewhere.

"We're doing really well in some states, including Florida," Trump said. "Look, if you get your people out to vote, we're going to win Florida. So we're even, maybe one point up, one point down, it's an even — And I haven't started yet, I really haven't started."

Trump's remarks were closed to all but a few national news outlets.

Sen. Marco Rubio was originally the meeting's special guest. He is speaking Friday.

Protesters decry meeting as anti-LGBT event

Critics of the event say some of the most prominent anti-LGBT activists are expected to speak. Supporters of Equality Florida as well as a group of prominent Florida clergy are expected to protest the event. The clergy members "urge the Republican nominee to stop politicizing religion for personal gain."

One of the people expected to speak, Liberty Counsel founder Mat Staver, denied the meeting was an anti-LGBT event, accusing the protesters of politicizing their religious event.

“It wasn’t planned as an event for them," Staver said. "It’s not about them. It’s really about and for pastors. It’s one from both political operatives and from the LGBT community. But both are completely wrong. It has nothing to do with LGBT or anti-LGBT.”

But protesters said the rhetoric didn't match the message.

“Discrimination wrapped in religious rhetoric is still discrimination," said Gina Duncan, Equality Florida's Transgender Inclusion Director. “Donald Trump and Marco Rubio are coming here to pander to a community, a group that is absolutely a hate group.”

Protesters included Celia Ruiz, sister of Pulse nightclub attack victim Juan Ramon Gurerrero. Ruiz said the rhetoric of the people in the meeting disrespects the memory of her brother and the other victims of the June attack.

"Look at the names of the people that are in there and what they stand for," Ruiz said. "We know what they're really doing."