Supporters and protesters lined the streets to greet President Trump during his visit to Long Branch for a fundrasier on Aug. 9, 2020. Asbury Park Press

LONG BRANCH President Donald Trump arrived here shortly before 5 p.m. for a private fundraising event on Ocean Avenue.

Marine One, the helicopter that transports the president, touched down at Elberon Park at 4:47 p.m. A motorcade then escorted Trump to a private home on Ocean Avenue in the city's Elberon section. The home belonged to the lateStanley Chera, a friend of Trump's who died in April due to complications of COVID-19.

Admission to the fundraiser cost supporters between $5,600 and $250,000, with perks including photo opportunities and a seat at a roundtable discussion with the president.Trump departed the event shortly after 7 p.m.

In a video tweeted out by Jewish Insider, Trump promises the sitting crowd of supporters some of whom rise to their feet that the White House will reach some sort of agreement with Iran within a month of Election Day if he wins re-election.

"If we win, we will have a deal with Iran within four weeks," he says in the video.

Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have gradually increased since Trump withdrew the United States from a 2015 nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions that restricted Iranian oil exports and brought the Iranian economy to a halt. In January, a U.S. drone strike killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad.

Iran responded by firing ballistic missiles at U.S. forces in Iraq.

On Friday, National Counterintelligence and Security Center director William Evanina said Iran "seeks to undermine U.S. democratic institutions, President Trump, and to divide the country in advance of the 2020 elections.

Other videos from the fundraiser show Trump and the crowd being blessed by a group of rabbis, as well as his introduction by Haim Chera son of Stanley Chera.

In one video tweeted by Jewish news website Belaaz, Haim Chera refers to Trump as "the greatest president in our country's history" and thanks him for his friendship after his father's death.

In the video, Haim Chera also propulgates a popular conspiracy theory that the COVID-19 may have been "maliciously released" by the Chinese government.

None of the fundraiser guests, who appear to be packed in under an outdoor tent, appear to be wearing face coverings in the video.

"You are fighting a war against an invisible enemy, recklessly or maliciously released onto our shores from China, and you still made time to offer your assistance to us," Haim Chera said in the video.

Opponents and supporters of Trump gathered on Ocean Avenue, about one block south of the Chera compound, where a pair of heavy-duty green and gray public works trucks served as a barricade.

At 2 p.m., hours before Trump's anticipated arrival, protesters for and against his administration squared offoneither side of South Lincoln Avenue, trading chants "Dump Trump!" and "Four more years!"

Supporters and protesters gathered in Elberon on Sunday, Aug. 9, and begun marching to Ocean Avenue where, sometime before 5 p.m., President Donald Trump is expected to arrivefor a fundraiser with New Jersey supporters.(Photo: Mike Davis/Asbury Park Press)

"They have their own fundraiserdown the road. What do they need us for," said Summitresident Jill LaZare, aDeal native and former Assembly candidate who organized the anti-Trump protest.

WHAT WE KNOW: President Trump schedules fundraiser in Elberon

"A lot of these people have been yelling 'we don't want you here,' and I want to make sure it's clear that there are a lot of people in this area who do not support Trump, and are outraged by his presidency on so many different levels," LaZare said.

LaZare and about 50 other protesters were gathered on a small field on one side of the street, flanked by the infamous "Baby Trump" balloon, a caricature of the president that has made appearances at various protests and events over the last few years.

Jack Gavin drove to the protest from his home in West Caldwell to help set up the Baby Trump balloon and pass out pocked-sized copies of the Constitution, a practice he said was inspired by Gold Star father Khizr Khan, who offered to lend Trump a copy at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

Its an important thing to educate everyone I can about what the Constitution says and does not say and the importance of it especially when it comes to checks and balances, Gavin said. Donald Trump is walking all over checks and balances and the Republican Senate is doing nothing to stop it.

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At 4 p.m., police told protest organizers to take the balloon down at the order of the U.S. Secret Service, LaZare said.

On the other side of the street were about 25 counter-protesters, stacked two or three deep and waving an American flag, a "blue line" flag and a Trump 2020 campaign flag.

Rafi King, a police chaplain, spent the first half-hour chanting "Trump 2020" and "blue lives matter" into a megaphone before police instructed him to put it away. LaZare said her group wasn't allowed to use one, and asked police to enforce that rule on the counter-protesters.

Supporters and protesters gathered in Elberon on Sunday, Aug. 9, and begun marching to Ocean Avenue where, sometime before 5 p.m., President Donald Trump is expected to arrive for a fundraiser with New Jersey supporters.(Photo: Mike Davis/Asbury Park Press)

There were hints of outrage, but never violence. Anti-Trump protesters swarmed a luxury car, with New York plates, exchanging obscene hand gestures after unknown words were exchanged.

Vic Hara, 61, of Oakhurst said he voted for Trump in the last election and would do so again. Hara, who is Jewish, also supports the presidents pro-Israel actions.

He shows respect for the country, he said. We were losing ourrespect as a country.

My man Donald Trump, I supported him in the last election. Im supporting him in this election," said another Trump supporter, Ray Antoky, 73, of Long Branchs West End section. "He made America great again, and hes going to do it again.

Trump supporters Vic Hara, of the Oakhurst section of Ocean Township (left) with Ray Antoky , of Long Branchs West End, on Ocean Avenue in Long Branch ahead of the president's visit on Aug. 9, 2020.(Photo: Amanda Oglesby)

Antoky said he likes Trumps fight against the Deep State and fake press. The president cares about employment and people, he said. Antoky, who is Jewish, said he likes Trump for being pro-Israel.

And one anti-Trump protester made the mistake of arriving at the protest on the wrong side of the street. The crowd of pro-Trump protesters swarmed her, at one point ripping one of her homemade posters in half.

They ripped it up, said the woman, a local resident who declined to give her name. That was uncalled for. There was no reason for him to do that.

The anti-Trump protesters displayed hand-written signs while the pro-Trump group waved the American flag, along with a blue lives matter and Trump 2020 campaign flag.

Chera, 77, had relocated to his Elberon home in late March but was admitted to New York Presbyterian Hospital with the novel coronavirus a short while later. He died on April 11.

When you send a friend to the hospital, and you call up to find out how is he doing it happened to me, where he goes to the hospital, he says goodbye, Trump said during a March press briefing, referring to Chera. "And you call up the next day: 'How's he doing? And hes in a coma? This is not the flu.

In Elberon, barely any of the pro-Trump protesters was wearing a face mask, despite both doctors encouragingand state law requiring people to doo so in order to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Their unencumbered chants ofget a job and four more years" occasionally drowned out the "dump Trump" and "show me what democracy looks like" chants of the masked anti-Trump protesters, who instead displayed their hand-made posters.

"162,000+ dead," one sign read. "Are we winning?"

Mike Davis has spent the last decade covering New Jersey local news, marijuana legalization, transportation and basically whatever else is going on at any given moment. Contact him atmdavis@gannettnj.comor@byMikeDavison Twitter.

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Trump to Long Branch fundraiser crowd: 'Deal with Iran within four weeks' if-relected - Asbury Park Press