Outside The Debate Hall Is Just As Weird

The final presidential debate of the 2016 election was held less than two miles from the Las Vegas strip. Candidates took the stage at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas for what promised to be a wild evening in the city of sin. The presidential election has evoked an incredible fanaticism from Trump and Clinton supporters, and Vegas served as the perfect melting pot for weird antics and gussied-up demonstrations. The weirdest things happening on debate night in Las Vegas had just as much to do with such a major political event as they did with the city it was hosted in.

Gambling went hand-in-hand with the debate, with viewers betting on everything from talking points to mere utterances of words and phrases. If Trump mentions the election being rigged five times or more, best believe someone's getting quite the payout. Same goes for four mentions of WikiLeaks, which was hinted at by moderator Chris Wallace, citing the ongoing Podesta emails dump culling from the Hillary for America campaign chief's inbox. The Donald's braggadocio has also attracted the interest of eager betters looking to cash in on his use of the word "tremendous" and, if I may wager my own bet, "yuge" or "bigly."

Taking a page from Latinos for Trump founder Marco Gutierrez, the "taco trucks on every corner" contingent surrounded the Donald's Vegas property. Additional protestors took to the Trump Hotel lawn with banners decrying the real estate magnate's incendiary statements. The Republican presidential hopeful has ruffled the feathers of nearly every underserved community imaginable, which activists were quick to highlight. It's something that has continously translated to the debate stage, starting with the first Republican debate in which moderator Megyn Kelly questioned Trump about his disparaging comments towards women.

On the more old school Las Vegas front, even Elvis Presley impersonators were getting in on the debate night fun. One impersonator even rolled up in a pink Cadillac with two beauty queens. The car was towing a trailer containing what looks like a replica of the controversial nude statue of Trump that mysteriously appeared in public locations across the nation. Naked Trump has been spotted in Manhattan, Los Angeles, Seattle, Cleveland, and San Francisco, and now Vegas.

Of course, Las Vegas carried on as its crazy, nonpolitical self throughout the course of the evening. Rockers The 1975 held a rooftop concert and Britney Spears held court at her Planet Hollywood residency, which kicked off just as candidates were taking the stage. You can bet that people packed the house in favor of a more relaxing evening with the pop star rather than the chaos of politics.