Firearms, Peaceful Protest, and Questions At the RNC
It was a chant of Lock Her Up! that first welcomed me to Cleveland’s Public Square yesterday, just a few blocks from Quicken Loans Arena, where Donald Trump would later accept the Republican Party’s nomination for President of the United States. The square was alive with protest and blanketed with police from across the entire country. State police from states as far away as California, Texas, and Florida were heavily represented. A mounted police officer told me that there were 7 divisions of mounted police officers there alone. But while the mood was frenetic — the Revolutionary Communist Party of the United States wailed about genocide while a Christian fundamentalist group screeched YOU’RE ALL GOING TO DIE over and over — things felt surprisingly safe. I say surprisingly because between the police officers and the folks open-carrying their firearms, it seemed like there was roughly 1 firearm for every 3 people in the square. I found people from both sides of the political divide engaged, and eager to talk.
What went on inside the Quicken Loans Arena this week was widely covered by every major news outlet on television, radio, print, and digital media. Knowing this, when I went to Cleveland yesterday I wanted to talk to everyone outside the arena. I only had a few simple questions in mind, and here’s what they had to say.
Jason Steidl New York, New York
Are you a Trump supporter?
No, no, thank god.
Why not?
Because he stirs up some of the worst parts of the United States, some of the worst impulses. Misogyny, racism, Islamophobia, xenophobia. He stirs up the worst parts of our nature.
Is there anything you do like about him?
Well…I live in New York City, he lives in New York City. But, no, not too much.
Jesse Gonzales & James Lefeber Lakewood, OH
Who are you guys supporting?
Donald Trump all the way.
Why?
Well, first off. He’s not Hillary Clinton. And the two issues that have garnered the most support from me in particular the issues of immigration and the economy.
Is there anything you don’t like about him?
He can be a bit abrasive, but it’s done him a great service in terms of keeping him in the limelight 24/7. 24 hour media coverage. It’s calculated. Dudes a genius.
What kind of rifles are these?
Jesse : An American-Made AK.
James : A Mosin.
Terry
Who Are you supporting?
I wouldn’t call myself a supporter of either of these clowns. Unfortunately I’ll have to vote for Hillary just to prevent this individual [Trump] from leading our country.
So that’s your biggest motivation for voting Hillary?
Sure. The only motivation.
What don’t you like about Hillary?
Same as this guy. Go down the list. But at least she’s not a bigot and a racist and a bully and a misogynist and a bankruptcy expert and a bad TV show host. You name it. She’s a liar too.
Sidi Gemelo
I presume by your shirt that you’re not a Trump supporter?
You assume correctly
Why not?
Do I have to say why? He’s a racist and a bigot. To me, it’s like, what are people thinking?
Is there anything you do like about him?
I mean, he’s directly racist. At least he’s directly racist.
Chris deLeva
Who are you supporting?
Trump.
Why?
Because Trump says it like it is. Trump isn’t a politician. Trump signs the front of checks not the backs of checks. Trump makes money, makes jobs, he does not dictate money and take money. He does not tell an entrepreneur what to do with it, he doesn’t tell you if he can give you a liquor license or not. He gives you money to go make the fucking money, and then maybe give him a little piece. There’s nothing wrong with that it’s called business. There’s nothing unethical about pulling out when you see something failing it’s called smart. Why should you sink with the fucking sinking ship? Why should you be the violinist on the fucking Titanic?
Is there anything you don’t like about him?
I think he could probably maybe choose his words a little more wisely. But I think that just comes with Trump, who the fuck he is, he don’t give a shit, he is who he is. I dislike Hillary and politicians for much greater reasons than I dislike Trump.
Brian Sindelar. Clevaland, OH
Who are you supporting this year?
Donald Trump.
Why?
Because I’m a Republican. I wouldn’t necessarily vote the party line no matter what, but definitely would never support Hillary [Clinton]. The way she operates, it’s like the mafia.
And I’ve always been interested in a businessman running. I think the government is very inefficient, and for once I’d like to see the government run like a private business.
Is there anything you don’t like about Donald Trump?
He can be a bit abrasive.
Matthew
Who are you supporting this year?
Cthulhu.
Other than Cthulhu?
Other than Cthulhu? There is no one other than Cthulhu, he is the dark overlord. He will be all.
Is the first presidential election where you feel you have no good options?
Yeah. This is probably the first election that I actually believe Cthulhu would be a good candidate.
Is there anything about either candidate that you do like?
That’s a tough one. Well, I do appreciate that both candidates support equality. In there eyes we’re all equally worthless.
Eric Saferstein, Pittsburgh, PA
Who are you supporting?
I’ll either vote for Hillary Clinton or the Libertarian, Gary Johnson.
Why is that?
Well to vote for Trump is a sheer act of lunacy. It’s terrifying that he’s in contention to be the President of the United States, which I think could happen. I have issues with Hillary Clinton, too, but she’s a dream candidate compared to what’s going on in there [The RNC].
Is there anything you do like about Donald Trump?
I don’t like qualities like narcissism and egomaniacal, frenzied incompetence. Those things don’t appeal to me. Well, I like that he has the guts to go on stage without a speech and answer questions he doesn’t know the answer to.
Abby
Who are you supporting?
Donald Trump.
Why?
At the end of the day I think there are some misconceptions about what liberals stand for and what the Democratic party stands for, and I think they’ve done a really good job with hiding the fact that htey oppress people of color and that they do whatever they can to keep those people down so they keep voting for them. They perpetuate the welfare state, they keep them in a cycle that they can’t get out of, and I just can’t see another four years of a Democrat president.
So you’re not a Hillary fan?
Decidedly not a Hillary fan. I’ve liked Democrats before, I just think she is the worst human being. This is the thing — Donald Trump says what he’s thinking, it might not always be what I want to hear, but Hillary sacres me. She’s a crook, and I think that people that want to ignore the wrong-doings and the lack of integrity are delusional. And the fact that they want to project it on Trump, like he’s the worst possible candidate…there have never been more Democrats that hate their candidate ever before.
Is there anything you do like about Hillary?
I think that she has built a really amazing career for herself. As a woman I think that’s really admirable that she was a Senator and Secretary of State. I don’t like how she conducted herself in those jobs, but I think it’s impressive that she attained those offices.
Is there anything you don’t like about Donald Trump?
Yeah. Some of the things he says I wish he wouldn’t say. But if you look at the state of affairs today, the way this country is now, there’s never been a racial divide like there is now in this country post civil rights and I don’t think it’s a coincidence. I think you can look at the leadership — the fish rots from the head down, and the fact that things are so bad down the line stems from leadership or lack thereof. So I couldn’t see having another 4–8 years of the same thing over and over again, or this country’s gonna fall apart and I’m not ready to watch it burn. I’d rather take my chances with Trump than know what I’m getting with Hillary.
Hanif Phelps, 31, Cleveland, OH
Who are you supporting this year?
I’m supporting all lives, and in a way trying to better represent the All Lives Matter movement. Most people who use that moniker would exclude any one of these demographics here in question and that would defeat the purpose of All Lives Matter. I do support the black Lives Matter Movement, but because the lack of trust in the community, because they’ve been poorly represented, they’ve secluded themselves from being helped by other folks in the community. So I took it upon myself to escalate the message and speak for some kind of altruistic platform that we can all agree on.
Is there any candidate that you’re behind?
It’s not really political for me. I don’t have a party or a stance, I’m all for supporting oppressed people until they’re unopposed. Capitalism is infected by crony capitalism, and we capitalize off the misfortune of others and that’s how people succeed in America. I won’t consent to oppressing or indirectly oppressing anyone here or around the world.
Max
I assume you’re not a Trump supporter?
No. I’m not a Trump supporter.
Why not?
He’s a buffoon. He’s a blowhard, he’s a representation of everything that’s wrong with the country.
Is there anything that you do like about him?
His hair [laughs]. Definitely not his hair. With that kind of money you’d think he could afford better hair. But it’s good for a laugh.
Stacia Huyler, Rhode Island
Who are you supporting?
I’m a delegate alternate for Donald Trump. [From Rhode Island]
What is it that you like about Trump?
He actually cares about our country. He’s been following along for a long time like I have and he got the point where he felt that he needed to step up and run like he always said he would. And I believe that the time is now, especially with what’s at stake, which is potentially having Hillary Clinton as our next president. I think that would be the ultimate downfall of our country. She belongs in prison. It’s actually an insult to the American people and to the democratic process that that’s what the DNC is putting at the forefront. They should be ashamed of themselves.
Is there anything you don’t like about Donald Trump?
Absolutely nothing.
Clowns — Trumps So loud. We’re not laughing.
John Westlake, Connecticut
Who are you supporting?
Donald Trump.
Why?
Why? Because Trump is going to make America great again.
How so?
He’s going to address the major issues that are confronting this country right now. One of them being the increasing amount of terrorist attacks by Muslims in this country, he plans on vetting — for instance — Syrian refugees coming into this country. And you know, that’s trying to put a band-aid on a much large problem, but at least he’s making an effort.
Is there anything you don’t like about him?
Not a thing. Well, he can be rough around the edges. He could be a little more refined. But that’s what sets him apart, he’s not a politican, he’ll admit that and I like that about him. If I were running for president I’d be the same way, I couldn’t get up there and sound like a politician. This is like OJT [On the Job Training] for him, he’s learning as he goes. He’ll learn from his mistakes, he’s started to use a teleprompter, that’s a little thing he learned.
Another issue is all the police officers getting murdered on the streets. And the racial issue — just to have someone that won’t pick sides like Obama has. He [Obama] picked sides and made race relations worse by doing so. Donald Trump hasn’t made any remarks along those lines.
Molly Pribula & Linda Bondellio, Lakewood, OH
I don’t want to make any assumptions, but presumably you’re not Donald Trump Supporters?
Not for President.
Why not?
Molly - I don’t think it’s a good representation of our country. I don’t want someone that unkind to be our world leader.
Linda - I just feel like he’s an embarrassment to our country around the world.
Is there anything you do like about him?
I used to like him when he was on the apprentice, I thought he was good for reality TV. Other than that I guess he’s a good businessman, he’s done well for himself, so I can respect that, but foreign policy — not so much. And in business he can be anyway he wants.
When he started running I was like, ‘Oh this is fun and cool. It’s like reality TV.’ But that’s the problem, he’s not a political and this is a really big deal. Can we please take this seriously?
When I got back to my apartment last night my roommate asked if I’d been impressed by anyone. Presumably he meant to ask if I’d interviewed anyone particularly passionate, articulate, or otherwise unexpectedly interesting. The truth is most of the opinions were ones I’d heard before, but what was impressive was how respectful everyone was of each other. Frankly, I expected a little more vitriol, but Trump supporters chanted and yelled right next to communists, Democrats, and clowns, and I can only recall one instance that led to a real confrontation.
Cleveland, though, has a reputation for friendliness. Philadelphia, where the DNC commences on Monday — does not. I’ll be there next week to see what people have to say. Stay tuned.
