Trump supporters rally in the Northeast Kingdom

NEWPORT, Vt. (WCAX) - Trump supporters in the Northeast Kingdom want you to know they’re there and supporting the president on Election Day. Our Kiernan Brisson spoke with some of them Saturday at a Trump rally in Newport.

“I’ve planned this like-- four weeks ago,” organizer Adam Abbott said.

Abbott organized the rally of about 200 Vermonters. He says he wanted a sense of how many Trump supporters are in the area and to show the community that many Vermonters support our current president. “I wanted to give some time to let people find out about it and come out to support our president,” Abbott said.

Thirty-percent of Vermont voters picked Trump four years ago and everyone at Saturday’s rally said they will be voting for him again on November 3.

“You know, not every president is perfect. He has his flaws, but I think in the long run you want somebody who has your back down, in the long run and, I think that’s President Trump,” said Riley Fletcher of Derby.

“He’s fighting for the average American, the hard-working guys that work 12-hour shifts, whether they’re white, Black, Hispanic, it doesn’t matter. He’s doing what he said he is. He’s the first president in my lifetime that’s kept his promises,” said Ruel Peterson of South Hero.

The parking lot at Gardener Memorial was filled with vehicles all flying banners in support of President Trump and Abbot says it was more people than he expected. “I would consider this a successful rally right now because there is a lot more people than I anticipated at first here,” he said.

Abbott and other supporters say they’re hopeful there will be more Trump rallies in other towns and cities across the state leading up to the election.

Editor’s note: We want to update you on our reporting of the Trump rally on Saturday in Newport. The editorial leadership here at WCAX News heard from some viewers Sunday that there was a person at that rally in blackface. WCAX has since spoken with the individual who was seen with black on his face, riding in the back of a pickup truck. The 17-year-old tells WCAX he was not trying to appear as a Black person and was previously unaware of the term “blackface.” The teen told WCAX the blackness was soot from the pickup’s aerial exhaust pipe. He said, “If I could take it back, I definitely would. To anyone who took it like that, I’m completely sorry for my actions and I’ll never do something like that again.”

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