Wesley Gross, 30, of Virginia Beach at the Richmond rally. (Julia Rendleman/The Washington Post)

RICHMOND — Y'all, it smelled like fear out here in Virginia.

Scores of men — plus a handful of women — dressed up in battle rattle and draped themselves with assault weapons, long guns and handguns on Monday. They strapped hunting knives to their thighs and wore body armor and body cameras on their chests, shoulders and helmets.