President Trump’s recent rally at the U.S. Cellular center in Cedar Rapids united his loyal following and also his staunch critics.
By Madeleine Neal
When President Trump held a rally at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids last week, he was greeted by a sea of faithful followers and also by a crowd of critics.
Inside the arena, Trump supporters gazed out the venue’s window at a group of protesters stretched alongside the street.
Jim Lendherr, who voted for Trump, said protesters need to understand what is actually going on in the United States.
“I guess it’s their right to protest,” he said. “But they ought to get themselves educated so they know what’s really going on.”
Lendherr said he spoke to a protester who wanted Trump to be impeached, to which Lendherr responded, “How come we didn’t impeach Obama?”
“He [the protester] said, ‘I have no idea,’ ” Lendherr said. “People don’t remember the old days, how hard we worked to make this country, and it seems like it’s getting torn down.”
For Trump voter Denis Reglin, Trump is doing what he promised. Reglin said he is proudest of Trump’s pick for Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch.
“I don’t know that much about it, but [Gorsuch] seems really good,” Reglin said. “[He is] a basic fundamental conservative, with same values as [Antonin Scalia], and we needed that.”
Jeanette Dennis and Jamie Mapier, who both voted for Trump, said they laughed when they saw protesters outside the venue.
“They’re yelling, ‘Lock him up, lock him up.’ For what?” Mapier said. “What do you want to lock him up for?”
For Dennis, the protesters are just a roadblock to halt Trump’s accomplishments.
“He’s trying to make changes, and he’s getting blocked, and there’s no reason,” Dennis said. “Give him a chance; he’s trying his best.”
For Mount Vernon native Roger Schnittjer, however, policies in with Trump’s Republican Party caused him to stray from the GOP.
“I can’t go with the Republican Party anymore, and I changed some time ago, but the party is no longer what it was,” Schnittjer said. “In the middle of the [Ronald Reagan] years is when I stopped.”
Schnittjer said he ultimately switched parties because of inequality; he believes there has been an increase in inequality, which is what he said will take the country down.
“[It’s] worse with the current administration, and I would like to see the whole world great again,” he said. “[Trump] doesn’t have a policy. His only policy is to destroy what Obama did because he hates it — it’s going to be a tough four years — it’ll be better at the end of it.”
Kris Hale, a protester from Marion, said she and her daughter protested to show support against what she called “Trump’s hatred.”
“There’s got to be a better way than the way things are running right now,” Hale said. “Trump isn’t making America great again — I can’t stand the thought of the ban, or the wall, or anything related to it.”
Richard Pitner, a protester from Cedar Rapids, said he showed up to protest because Trump showed up to speak.
“Trump is here today, which is why we’re here today — we can’t speak to him in D.C. because he doesn’t listen,” Pitner said. “A lot of people are disappointed with how he’s operating as president — he doesn’t know what he means.”
Pitner said members of Trump’s following are forgetting and ignoring the Constitution.
“We are seeing the operation of termites from within,” Pitner said. “Trump is a termite — when his health-care bill is known, I think a lot more people will be upset — he’s weakening America every day he’s in office — he doesn’t deserve to be president.”
Bret Nilles, the Linn County Democratic head, said he thinks Trump’s campaign promises exemplify the “fantasy world” that he seems to live in.
Nilles said he thinks that in terms of talking about things that he said are never going to happen, and in terms of trying to gain support and have people continually look to see what’s going to happen next, his presidency is similar to what his campaign was built on.
“That’s what it seems like he’s doing now as president — wanting you to keep coming back and see what they’re going to do next without accomplishing anything,” Nilles said.
With all the distractions, he said, he can see why Trump supporters believe him.
“The way Trump states what’s happening, I could see where if you’re not watching him, there are so many distractions going on — you believe him. In terms of immigration, immigration in the United States has been declining for the last year, crime rate was at its lowest ever last year, and he’s taking credit for it being low now,” Nilles said. “I think there are so many distractions going on that sheer supporters believe him because you really don’t hear the facts of what’s happening.”
Justin Wasson, the Linn County Republican head, said he thinks Trump is fulfilling his campaign promises.
“The Paris Climate Agreement is a classic example,” Wasson said. “He campaigned on that, he said we’re pulling out, and he did.”
Wasson also said he thinks Trump has also followed through in terms of border security and tax reform.
“If anything, I find it interesting how people get surprised when he does some of the stuff he does,” he said. “He just told for the last two years that this is what he’s going to do — I think he’s really been fulfilling a lot of the promises he made during the campaign.”
