Elizabeth Troutman | Collegian
I was booed for the first time in my life on Monday. I hadn’t given a speech — I’m no public figure, celebrity, or politician. In the eyes of many Trump supporters I was something far worse: a reporter.
Our journalism class with Pulliam Fellow Chris Bedford took a field trip to the press gallery at President Trump’s rally near Toledo, Ohio this week. On our way, we passed a miles-long line of people waiting to get in, with food trucks parked along the road to feed them. We went through the media entrance, and campaign staff drove us in golf carts until we arrived at the fenced-in media area. Even before the president’s arrival, the crowd turned to us and the other reporters, chanting, “Tell the truth! Tell the truth!”
The press gallery had desks for reporters, so we could cover what was happening as we saw it unfold in front of us. I also walked around, meeting correspondents from other news outlets before heading toward the crowd to talk to Trump’s fans.
I met Phil Gatt, a first generation Maltese immigrant who supported Trump for his “bluntness and honesty.” I interviewed Keith Carr, a U.S. Navy veteran and retired police officer who said he was excited to finally be somewhere with crowds and people after months of quarantine.
We saw Air Force One land, and Trump walked out to the masses cheering for him. To put it in perspective, before his arrival 10,000 water bottles had already been handed out, according to the campaign.
As the crowds again turned towards the press gallery and chanted, a few people nearby recognized us as Hillsdale students and started to cheer. I went to talk to one of them, a man named Redmond Ritter, who said he grew up in Jonesville and was happy to see us there.
“I identify as a paleo conservative, and I care about the Second Amendment and protecting gun rights,” Ritter told me. He added that he got a copy of the Constitution from the college and reads it to his daughters. Ritter said he supports Trump because of the Supreme Court, abortion issues, and gun rights.
The variety of people and reasons they were there surprised me. I’ve attended political events in the past, but this one far surpassed others in terms of energy and excitement.
Being there as a member of the media — even one who was booed — was the opportunity of a lifetime.
