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Colorful crowds gather to see the president in downtown Youngstown
By Joe Gorman
and Graig Graziosi
YOUNGSTOWN
The scene outside the Covelli Centre was just as colorful as President Donald Trump’s rousing rhetoric inside the arena.
Several people outside were dressed in costumes or wearing Trump attire.
Patrick Durina, a former Liberty Township trustee, said he was attending because he’s a supporter of the president and he thought it was important to show that support in person – to show people that there are people who do support Trump.
Asked how to get people to support the president, Durina said: “Get to know him. Look at what he’s trying to do.”
Jason Burns of Hubbard is another Trump supporter and said he wanted to see a sitting president who visited the Valley.
“Not too many times has the president been here after he was elected,” Burns said.
Burns said he works downtown as well so it was easy for him to wait after he was done working to attend the rally.
Jeff Summer of Alliance also said he thought it was important to attend in person because he wants Trump to know people are for him.
“I’m here to basically support his policies,” Summer said.
Waving the blue-and-white triangle flag of a group called “Identity Evropa,” James Reardon, a self-described member of the “alt-right,” said he wasn’t fully in support of Trump, but attended the rallies outside the Covelli to show his support for ideas such as isolationism and restrictions on immigration from developing countries.
Two men from Pittsburgh dressed in clerical robes with color imprints of the saints and the Virgin Mary said they were at the rally to “witness for Trump.” They identified themselves as “Brother Tomasio” and “Doctor Frank.”
“We are 100 percent behind our president,” Brother Tomasio said. “We are here to give our support.”
From New Castle, Pa., Jack Cameron rode his bicycle an hour and a half to watch the scene outside the Covelli. Cameron said he has taken a wait-and-see approach to Trump.
“I don’t support him, but I didn’t oppose him either,” Cameron said. “I’m kind of neutral on him.”
After the arena was closed off to any new admittances, about 100 people watched the rally on a big-screen television. Cory Hathaway of Warren saw the president’s speech on the big screen, saying he is not a Trump supporter, but he still wanted to hear from the president speak on health care.
“I wanted to see what he had to say,” Hathaway said.