For loyal Macon County Trump backers, a campaign message still rings true
"Nothing has been proven," said Spinner, an employee of UPS Freight in
In the world of national media and cable news commentators, the Trump administration that started six months ago Thursday has been punctuated by a series of scandals more earth-shattering than the last. But in
The Herald & Review interviewed local Trump supporters last week, as his half-year mark in the
Yet Trump defenders point out past months also have included a high-performing stock market, plummeting fuel costs and improving unemployment numbers. Critics say the economic trends started before Trump became president.
"If Trump pulled their grandson out of icy waters, they'd complain that the president didn't have a warm jacket waiting for them once they got out," he said.
In November, Trump carried 56 percent of the vote in
Overall, Trump won 90 of
It's a pattern repeating more frequently in downstate
"It was a whole different ballgame when I was elected," Bean said. "If I were to run now for my first time ... I'm not sure I'd get elected."
No
The shift is a common one in most area counties, said
About 19 percent of the population in
"Downstate has really become much more
Throughout the campaign, Trump promised to bring back manufacturing and coal jobs, which had long played a vital role in employment for downstate
"To give (Trump) credit, he talked a good game during the campaign," Tichenor said. "It will be interesting to see how he does with his campaign promises."
Challenging start
A
Even by modern presidential standards, Trump had no honeymoon period after his
But his administration also has faced continued questions on the
Many of Trump's local supporters who spoke to the Herald & Review said they did not object to the president building a relationship with
For
"It is important for him to reach out everywhere to improve the relationships with the different countries and maintain those that may have been questionable over the last presidencies," said Fullerton, a 41-year-old
Spinner said Trump is correct in talking with
"With two countries like ours, if the leaders aren't meeting and trying to work out a difference, then we are moving back toward the Cold War from the '80s," he said.
Former campaign volunteer
Bouvet met Trump in January, shortly before the inauguration. The single father from
"He is just a generous guy to meet with me," said Bouvet, who works as a
Spinner said Trump "is doing what presidents need to do," he said. "He is working to try and get America back into the scene."
Political experts say it's unsurprising backers are willing to stand by Trump.
Redfield attributed steadfast allegiance to a growing political mentality of "my team versus your team." Voters are more willing to overlook their own candidate's flaws in exchange for what they see as "wins" over the other party, he said.
"(Voters) are making an investment when they vote," he said. "You think that when you've made the choice, you've aligned yourself with the candidate. That's a personal, psychological connection."
Trump proponents are unlikely to abandon him after only six months, Redfield said, as that typically does not happen for a long time. People want to give elected officials a chance, and to turn against their candidate is for the voter to admit they made a mistake.
"For that to happen, the voter would have to say, 'I was really wrong about this person, that was a stupid vote,'" Redfield said. "People are reluctant to do that. They're going to extend credibility, to extend support."
A Reuters/
That's been the case for
"I voted for Trump hoping for change," said Clark, 68. "Unfortunately what we got was a thin-skinned bully. I still believe he can do a good job, but he's got to give over his wanting to power everybody. That's a bully."
Clark added that he would still back Trump over a Democrat, however.
Supporters contemplate future
Tichenor, the political science expert, said as long as
"As I take the long look down the road, those types of things will have an impact on Trump and the Republican support in
While the future of health care legislation remains murky, it's also unclear when Trump will move on to other campaign promises, such as tax reform and funding for infrastructure projects. Other tasks include a fiscal year-end budget battle and calls for increasing the debt ceiling.
Macon County Democratic Chairman
"They control the presidency,
Underwood said to capitalize on that,
"Nationally, I think what we've ended up with is a lot of dissatisfaction, and that drove people away from the
Pillsbury, the county
"One thing I saw in the headquarters this year, and this even went beyond the election, there were a lot of union people coming in ... and they would ask for Trump signs," he said. "I had a couple of people come in at different times tell me, 'I've been a lifelong Democrat, and I've had enough.'"
[email protected]|(217) 421-7985
Herald & Review Staff Writer
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