WATCH: ‘People’s Convoy’ Claims 1,100 Trucks As They Depart California En Route to D.C.

The “People’s Convoy” of American truckers inspired by protesters from Canada’s Freedom Convoy left California Wednesday, en route to Washington, D.C. as a large group of National Guard troops awaits them.

The group announced a week ago it would leave Barstow, California, with a mission to park somewhere near the country’s capital to oppose Covid mandates.

The Associated Press reported Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has authorized 700 members of the National Guard to be oh hand in advance of the arrival of trucker protests, 400 of them from the capital and an additional 300 from other states. Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that the White House is “closely monitoring, closely watching, and working with state and local authorities” to “assess the threat environment” when and if truckers arrive in the city.

Truckers have been organizing in several locations, but the California group seems to be by far the most organized.

Convoy organizer Maureen Steele told Newmax TV last week the group was well-organized, well-funded, and expected to begin its journey with at least 1,000 trucks.

Steele also said she believed the convoy would swell in size as it traverses the country.

She joined Eric Bolling on The Balance Wednesday from the cab of one of the trucks to announce that the convoy had officially departed.

Bolling noted “People love numbers,” and asked her, “What was the turnout, how does it look?”

“Well, here’s what I know, and this is the amazing part, we have over 1,100 vehicles right now, starting out,” Steele said. “And that is not counting the trucks and the RVs that are part of this convoy right now. It is indeed the People’s Convoy being led by the truckers. They are the tip of the spear.”

Steele added that church groups, businesses, and individuals from throughout California donated cash to the convoy.

“We have tens of thousands of dollars in cash right now,” she said. “I’m back here trying to count from people just handing us cash and gift cards, afraid of giving us — going online to donate, even though ours is pretty shored up after what happened in Canada. People just handing us $100 bills.”

The People’s Convoy website claims it has received more than $460,000 in donations on its website.

Videos and images shared on Twitter Wednesday showed awhat appeared to be lines of trucks and smaller support vehicles prepared to head for Interstate 40:

A map Bolling shared on Twitter showed the route of the convoy, which will take it through roughly a dozen states.

The convoy plans to arrive in the D.C. area on March 5.

Watch above, via Newsmax TV.

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