Donald Trump’s visit to Springfield last week was a part of a three-phase trip in which he had rallies in Springfield, Toledo and Geneva. He focused mainly on bashing Clinton’s campaign, in regards to the new WikiLeaks and her relationship with Putin, and ultimately, Russia.
The rally took place in Springfield’s fairgrounds on Thursday afternoon. The venue became packed so quickly that they began to turn people away and forced people to listen from outside. A couple of Trump supporters became frustrated and began testing the police’s patience; eventually everyone was forced to stand about 10 yards from the building. People began to file out of the building fairly quickly after the event started, however. Victoria Simek, ‘16, expressed how it didn’t matter if she voted or not because she felt Clinton was already going to win.
Responses like this fed the notion that everyone who came to an event like this were simply there for the spectacle itself. With Trump being such a prominent figure, even before the election, it seems as though people just want a chance to see Trump and hear his opinion on politics in general.
Outside the venue is where the real action was anyway. The parking lot was packed with Trump flare; cars with pimped out grills, classic buttons, derogatory Clinton signs and even “Clinton for Prison” jail outfits. In the midst of all these supporters, one girl that referred to herself as SD had a different reason for attending. Wearing a long trench coach at first, upon being asked what her political opinions were, she slowly unbuttoned her coat and revealed her outfit underneath that read “Trump is Trash.”
After her unveiling, she got into a heated debate with a lady close by selling Trump signs. SD began explaining how she wasn’t pro-Trump or Clinton, and how she felt they should both be put in prison for their wrongdoings. Being from Dayton, SD expressed how she couldn’t sit at home and not voice her opinion when she is so close to an event like this.
“Ohio is a place where people are hardworking; we deserve change,” SD said.
Capitalizing on her first amendment rights, she let everyone hear her opinions on all the candidates… peacefully, of course.
One supporter, Fred Delguldick, peacefully sat outside and tried to listen intently on the issues Trump discussed inside.
“He believes in national sovereignty,” Delguldick said, explaining the reason why he stands behind Trump.
He also noted how Trump wasn’t his first choice, but after following the debates for some time, he felt that Trump’s ideas were in line with his religious beliefs. Being a religious man, he expressed how he felt politics and religion were inseparable.
