DONALD TRUMP hasn’t been able to campaign much lately. On April 20th, he had to cancel a planned rally in Wilmington, North Carolina over dangerous weather conditions at the last minute, disappointing thousands on the ground and probably a million or more in cyberspace. He called from Trump Force One, promising to reschedule ASAP.
He’s gaining traction, anyway, among groups that have traditionally aligned more with Democrats (inexplicably). One such constituency is union workers. On Thursday, at a brief Trump campaign stop en route to court in Manhattan, Steamfitters Local 638 boss Bob Bartels told media that his people were likely to support Trump and the G.O.P. in 2024 because they’re tired of failed Democrat policies. According to an internal poll he took, he said Trump led Biden, 3:1, among his 9,000 membership.
“We’re tired of immigration, we’re tired of our tax dollars going to immigration, we’re tired of the crime,” he said, adding, “We need to put a handle on things in this country and bring it back to how it should be.” A construction worker nearby was less polite and more succinct when asked by a reporter if he had a message for Biden: “F*ck you,” he said.
Huge cheers erupted from assembled union workers who were overjoyed to see the president as he shook their hands and gave autographs. He also distributed a paper, “Union Workers Paying the Price for Biden’s Failed Economic Policies.” “I’m going to make a play for New Yorkers,” Trump told reporters, as workers chanted, “We love Trump!” It’s a long shot, but maybe having Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) as a running mate could help him clinch the state, if not the city.
Trump did get an endorsement that might help him in the city on Tuesday. Again, after court, he made a campaign appearance in The Bronx, where he met a large, enthusiastic crowd of New Yorkers at a bodega. The endorsement came from Francisco Marte, founder of the Hispanic organization, The Bodega and Small Business Group, who cited “law and order” as one of his primary reasons for supporting Trump. It should also be noted they may also be drawn to Trump’s more conservative beliefs vis-à-vis Biden, which, as Catholics, Hispanics may share.
The endorsement came off the heels of an Emerson College poll that shows people working fewer than 40 hours a week prefer Biden, but those who work in excess of 40 hours a week tend to be Trump supporters. This isn’t particularly surprising, though it may be oversimplified. Still, such stops are faring well for Trump. It’s difficult to not appreciate that, after a grueling day in a dreary, cold, and adversarial court, Trump finds the time, and is pleased to meet-and-greet hard-working Americans in hostile New York City. He should continue doing so.
I’m presuming the bodega workers are here legally, but that might be overly optimistic. Yet Dems might be inclined to let the illegals vote, and the irony of Trump votes would be delicious!
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