Columbia County’s Republican party held an outdoor rally on Saturday morning, June 1, to showcase support for Donald Trump and his candidacy in the upcoming November election.
Following Trump’s recent conviction in New York on Thursday, May 30, many Republicans across the nation have voiced their disbelief at the 34 felonies the former president will face sentencing for on July 11.
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A self-proclaimed supporter of Trump, Congressman Rick Allen said he was going to continue encouraging others to stand behind Trump and rally for the justice system to operate fairly as it would for any other average American.
“As President Trump said – this is bigger than he is,” he said. “… what President Trump has done is sacrifice himself, his business and his reputation to save this country, and the American people need to understand that.”
Believing that Trump’s conviction was biased and unjust, Allen said he believes “corrupt” district attorneys in New York should have no say in whether or not voters in other states re-elect Trump for president.
“Every American is entitled to a fair trial,” he said. “We have the best justice system in the world – it’s not perfect. But now we know it can be corrupted for political purposes.”
With several attendees voicing their distrust in the voting process and the newer equipment, Allen said people should still go and cast their vote, because cheating can be caught if enough Americans band together.
“I don’t blame people for mistrusting the system. People want their vote to count,” he said. “If we all get out and vote, we will win every statewide election … because your vote counts.”
Columbia County Republican Party Chairman Joe Edlemon said he and his staff would continue calling representatives and demanding they stand for Trump in the future election, while educating others about the importance of researching past false news headlines.
“This is such a dangerous time in America, because this means that the judicial system can be weaponized against basically anyone that you don’t agree with,” he said. “Young people need to get out and get educated … don’t just take headlines as your form of facts, because you don’t want to make decisions that could affect others based on ignorance.”
Republican candidates Rob Clifton and Paul Abbott, who are running for State House District 131 in a run-off election, said they are going to continue supporting Trump, because both believe Trump will fight for the nation’s betterment.
“We need to be supporting our democracy. I’m very concerned about what has happened and how it has happened,” Clifton said. “I don’t think people realize the importance of it and that this does make a difference.
Clifton said he thinks many citizens will need to rally for Trump to correct the results of the trial, and supporters need to educate fellow voters to ensure the former president’s reelection in November.
“We got to get out and talk to the people that have never voted. Get them to understand why it’s important to vote,” he said. “This whole country and our freedom is based on our voting systems, and if we don’t believe in it we lose.”
Representing the Trump campaign at the rally, Joseph Wargo pleaded with attendees to call their local representative and vote for Trump, whether or not the verdict is upheld.
“Take action – talk to your neighbor,” he said. “That is how you get a grassroots army and that is how you make a change.”
Following the recent May election, Edlemon said he was incredibly disappointed to know about 10% of citizens participated by voting, which he believes is caused by congressmen and women not upholding the values of the American people and thus devaluing the process in citizens’ minds.
“It shows that there’s a lot of apathy in voting right now, and I think there’s a lot of reasons why that is,” he said. “Some people are very tired of the results that we’re seeing in our country day in and day out.”
Most of all, Edlemon said he wanted people to remember to vote on Election Day, Nov. 5, and to choose Trump for the future of the nation.
“Get involved. We need as many volunteers as we can get,” he said. “If you support Donald Trump, it starts at the grassroots level. It starts at the bottom. It starts in our neighborhoods … so we need to tell people to get out and vote.”
For more information on the Columbia County Republican Party, visit: https://ccgagop.org/
“Right now is the time to vote,” Clifton said. “We have to get out.”
