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Trump Holds Rally in Hartford

(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

 

Donald Trump held a rally Friday in Hartford, where he continued to criticize the GOP leadership, just days ahead of New York's high-stakes primary election on April 19th.  

The Republican presidential candidate addressed a large crowd at the Connecticut Convention Center.   

He described the candidate selection system as "rigged" and warned that millions of disenfranchised Republicans would sit out the general election if he's denied the nomination.

Trump talked briefly about his connections to Connecticut and then he did have some positive words for Connecticut.

"You know I’ve lived in this state, and I know this state and I have the greatest friends, some of my greatest friends are from this state.  A lot of great people up in Hartford.  Except for the insurance companies charge me too much money, which I hate," Trump said.

Trump then switched to his stump speech describing how, from his perspective, America is not winning.   

"But here's the story.  Our country doesn't win any more.   We don't win with military, we don't win with the boarders, we don't win with healthcare.   We don't win with our second amendment, which by the way would be 100 percent protected by me,”  he said.  

Finally, Trump called on his supporters to pledge their vote to him.   

“When you cast your vote in a short period of time, you gotta promise me, raise your hand and everybody promise: We’re gonna vote, we’re gonna vote for Trump," he said. "And if you’re not gonna vote for Trump, don’t bother going. Just don’t go.”

Outside the rally people gathered to express their support and opposition to Trump.    WSHU’s Davis Dunavin spoke to some of them.

About 200 protesters showed up, and they clashed with Trump fans who came for the rally. There was a lot of chanting, both for and against Trump. Some chants had to do with his plan to build a wall on the border between the U.S. and Mexico.

“Build the wall! Build the wall!”

 

“All walls fall! All walls fall!”

And there was a lot of rude language. Like, a lot. Some of it was on t-shirts. A guy sold shirts that said “Donald F****ing Trump.” They were a hit among Trump fans. Trump supporter Nancy MacDonald bought a few different shirts. MacDonald said she didn’t mind the protesters.

"Like Donald says, good. Because they bring more attention to him.” she said.

Austin Sullivan was one of the protesters. He brought his acoustic guitar and sang a few songs to his fellow anti-Trump activists.

“I have my music, I have my passion, and I know what needs to be done. Why not come out to the heart of the beast?”

Trump is leading the Republican polls in Connecticut. The state holds its primary April 26th. Chris DePino, the former head of the Connecticut Republican party, came to watch what he called the growth of democracy, since a lot of people got involved in politics for the first time.

“People don’t like it, I get that part. But it’s growing like a flower. They should embrace the growth of the democracy. It’s wonderful what’s happening.”

As WSHU Public Radio’s award-winning senior political reporter, Ebong Udoma draws on his extensive tenure to delve deep into state politics during a major election year.
Davis Dunavin loves telling stories, whether on the radio or around the campfire. He started in Missouri and ended up in Connecticut, which, he'd like to point out, is the same geographic trajectory taken by Mark Twain.