​Trumpeteers

By C.S. Hagen

cshagen@hpr1.com

Despite the Republican presidential nominee’s recent political setbacks, most North Dakota Republican leaders still plan to vote for Donald J. Trump on November 8, and not November 28 as Trump recently told an audience.

Governor Jack Dalrymple R-N.D., and Congressman Kevin Cramer R-N.D., both support Trump for commander-in-chief, and both have been appointed to roles in Trump’s advisory boards. In August, Senator John Hoeven R-N.D. declared he also backs Trump, although he doesn’t agree on everything the man stands for.

During the past week Trump has taken direct fire from women he has allegedly mistreated sexually, from media recordings about him allegedly debasing women, including agreeing with Howard Stern that his own daughter was a “piece of ass” on the Howard Stern’s Show.

“I’d say shocked and disappointed that we have a national political process that produces two flawed candidates,” Doug Burgum said. Burgum is campaigning for governor after Dalrymple steps down.

The Republican platform believes in traditional marriage between a man and a woman, calling gay marriages “silly extravagances;” it opposes public funds for abortions, is pro-pipeline, pro-fossil fuels, citing on its platform that “the environment is too important to be left to radical environmentalists.” Many Republicans also deny Climate Change is real, and the party’s platform seeks to halt US funding for clean energy bills. The GOP also wants to repeal Obamacare; they support the death penalty; they’re against the legalization of marijuana, and want to rebuild the U.S. military into the strongest yet on earth “with vast superiority over any other nation or group of nations in the world.” And Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, has repeatedly demanded a temporary ban on Muslim immigration into the nation, and christened his campaign with the battle cry of building a wall along the US-Mexico border.

“I still believe it’s important for us to have a Republican in the White House,” Burgum said. “And the reason why is because the policies of Hillary Clinton… she’s anti oil, fossil fuels, anti coal for sure… she’s potentially anti agriculture, and we’re at the point in our state of having a dramatically reduced revenue right now, electing a president whose policies would be economically harmful to North Dakota is not a good thing, not a good thing for North Dakota, I don’t think her policies are good for the country, but definitely not good for North Dakota.”

Cramer, who runs against Chase Iron eyes D-N.D., and Libertarian Jack Seaman for Congress, and is currently North Dakota’s finance chairman for Trump, agreed by saying that Trump’s policies are the best for the state.

Only one North Dakota Republican was discovered to be straddling the fence.

Delores Rath, of Jamestown’s District 12, said she’s been away for several weeks, and has cold feet, but still supports Trump.

“Today maybe,” Rath said. “Tomorrow, maybe not. I’m kind of cold turkey here. I need to do a little more reading to get caught up.”

Dave Clemens, West Fargo, Republican chair for District 16, said he supports Trump for president.

“He is willing to address the situation with our military,” Clemens said. “We need a strong defense.” Additionally, Clemens agrees with Trump on immigration issues, that public restrooms should be designed for males to males, females to females, and although abortion is legal – the law of the land – he disagrees with the practice.

Despite Trump’s recent “locker room” talk, Clemens said Trump should not be held responsible for his conduct years ago when he wasn’t in the political eye. “I don’t like that kind of language, that kind of talk. It wasn’t correct, but it shouldn’t be made an issue in this election process.

“Trump’s views on national issues are more important than his language.”

Republican chair for District 27, Paul Owens, said he too supports Trump for the presidency. “He is the best candidate that can win,” Owens said. Although he doesn’t support all of Trump’s proposed immigration policies, he is against gay marriage, and supports penalties for women who have abortions – if abortions were made illegal.

Trump’s attitude toward women, however, revealed in recent weeks by past interviews with Trump, should also not be an issue during a presidential election. “It’s really low of the Dems and the liberal media to bring that out, because there is so much of that on the other side, and it’s even worse. No, I don’t approve of it, and I don’t know how much is actually true… but also realize that what goes, on – I mean I have a lot of friends who say stuff they shouldn’t when they’re with a group of guys.

“To bring it out like that is really hypocritical and stupid.”

Chris Langerud, the chair of District 44, said he supports Trump despite all the drama. “But I don’t know if I have enough time to go into that, I think that’s a lot more complicated question than you might think it is.”

Chair of District 46, Mark Thelen, also supports Trump. “I am going to support the endorsed candidate,” Thelen said. “I agree we have an immigration problem. I don’t agree with his solution, but at least he has one. You know, we need to do something about immigration, and I’m not saying stop it, but we have to quit using a wink and a nod, either let everybody in or nobody in, but don’t say here’s the legal process, and if you don’t want to, run across the border and we’re okay.”

Those that arrive legally find the immigration process too expensive and time consuming, Thelen said.

Gay marriage and legal abortions are the law of the land, and because the U.S. Supreme Court legalized gay marriage, Thelen doesn’t have a problem with it. “I’m not going to spend a lot of time on something I can’t control, and I don’t know anybody that can control it.”

Abortions have decreased in the past 10 years because society has become more supportive and helpful, Thelen said. “We need to encourage a society that doesn’t want to have abortions.”

Thelen shares the same views as his Republican compatriots when it comes to Trump’s degradation and alleged assaults on women.

“It was 11 years ago, and I wish he wouldn’t have said it, and it’s not right, but I don’t know that we should condemn somebody for something they did 11 years ago, but I’m certainly not condoning it.

“I’m not the same as Trump, but I like that he at least has an answer… I haven’t heard anyone else with an answer.”

Representative Karen Karls, of the North Dakota’s Legislative Branch, said she too supports Trump for president. “Because the other choice is horrific,” Karls said.

She agrees on some of Trump’s proposals for immigration change. “Some of it will have to be vetted and worked on by Congress for sure.” Much of the rhetoric surrounding Trump’s anti-Muslim speeches Karls said, have been taken out of context. “I’m not sure at all that he said that, [pertaining to banning Muslims]. I think it’s taken out of context and massaged a lot to make it sound really bad.”

Karls doesn’t believe the accusations against Trump are true.

“I think that mainstream media took it and ran with it without doing any fact checking,” Karls said, “and it seems to me some of those women… all the charges are false.”

Todd Fuchs of West Fargo’s District 13, refused to answer questions pertaining to supporting Trump. “Why don’t you spend a few pages going through the wikileaks pages and just point out the contrast between what your candidate Mrs. William (the rapist) Clinton says in private, then espouses to public?” Fuchs wrote in an email. “No I won’t respond to your poll so you can paint me as yet another on[e] in Hillary’s Bucket of Deplorables.

“The integrity of the fourth branch of government is proving itself as corrupt as the executive and judiciary has [have] been for the past eight years.”