43
Mahoning Valley supporters dig in with Trump campaign
By Denise Dick
and Kalea Hall
YOUNGSTOWN
The crowd inside Kilcawley Center at Youngstown State University applauded, chanting, “Trump, Trump. Trump,” through the presidential nominee’s speech, while a quiet group registered its opposition across campus.
Donald J. Trump, the Republican nominee, talked for about 50 minutes Monday to more than 300 supporters, delivering what was touted as his first foreign policy address.
James Mullarkey of Youngstown, who is in his third year at YSU, pursuing a degree in political science, said: “It was an excellent speech.”
Kathy Miller of Boardman is the Mahoning County chairwoman for the Trump campaign.
“I believe we need him in this country,” said the former Boardman Township trustee.
Though Trump’s speech was to the party faithful, not everyone thinks a Trump presidency is a good idea.
The “Love Trumps Hate” protest group gathered outside Cushwa Hall. About 30 to 40 protesters included members of YSU’s College Democrats, YSU’s Latino Organization and others.
“We are looking to send a positive message that ultimately we disapprove with the rhetoric of the Trump campaign,” said Jacob Schriner-Briggs, a member of the College Democrats.
Sunday night, protesters spray-painted their slogan, “Love Trumps Hate,” on The Rock that sits outside Kilcawley.
By Monday morning, though, that message had been painted over.
“We don’t know who did it,” said Shannon Tirone, YSU’s associate vice president for university relations, adding that it wasn’t university employees.
The protest group repainted it again Monday with its message.
Truno Serrano, a Struthers resident originally from Lima, Peru, was specifically in protest of Trump’s anti-immigration comments.
Serrano, a senior YSU student studying information technology and president of the YSU Latino organization, is in the process of gaining his U.S. citizenship.
“Once you come to America, you see the opportunities and you see how great the country is,” Serrano said. “We don’t need to make [the country] great again because it’s already great.”
As anti-Trump protesters yelled chants such as “Hey, Hey! Ho, Ho! Donald Trump has got to go,” Trump supporters came out to defend him.
“He’s for America,” said Ken Copeland of Ashtabula.
Neither Copeland nor Greg Dulick of Youngstown want to see Hillary Clinton as the next president.
In Boardman on Monday morning, area Democrats and union leaders said the real-estate mogul and reality television star isn’t fit for the presidency.
“Donald Trump scares the hell out of me,” said state Rep. John Boccieri of Poland, D-58th, adding that Trump is “temperamentally unfit to be president of the United States.”
Boccieri said Trump has attacked a Gold Star family, encourages Russian hackers to interfere with this election, and that he knows more about ISIS than the generals.
If Trump is elected president, his statements would be “a very dangerous prospect for our country’s safety.”
Glenn Johnson, president of United Auto Workers Local 1112, said Trump can’t be trusted to look out for American workers when he has products for his various businesses made overseas.
Johnson said Clinton has said “for 25 years she’d be willing to revisit NAFTA. Anyone willing to revisit it is OK in my book.”
In the Chestnut Room, Trump’s message resonated with Joe Dickey Jr. of North Lima.
“He has the right ideas for America,” Dickey said.
Mary Isa Garayua and her adult son, Jaime, both of Poland, came to hear the speech together.
“I was glad he didn’t talk about the wall,” Mary Isa said. “I’m totally against it.”
Jaime Garayua said he’s tired of politicians, including the Clintons, who “overpromise and underdeliver.”
He pointed to then-candidate Bill Clinton’s 1992 pledge to bring a federal payroll office to the Mahoning Valley.
It never happened.
“Don’t promise things and then not deliver on what you’ve promised,” Jaime Garayua said.