Outside Trump event, Saint Anselm students hold wide array of opinions

GOFFSTOWN, N.H. – While former President Donald Trump prepared to participate in a CNN town-hall style television a few dozen feet away on the campus of Saint Anselm College on Wednesday night, a crowd of mostly students stood outside on and near Campus Green with a wide array of opinions on Trump and his visit to their school.

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Right outside the entrance to the event, senior Chloe Londono-Ayr stood with several of her friends holding signs in protest.

“I think it was a pretty disappointing decision by the college to host him. It does not align with (Saint Anselm College’s) Benedictine values and I’m pretty sad about it,” she said. “I agree that all viewpoints should be heard and Saint Anselm prides itself on being impartial and non-partisan. But providing a platform for a disgusting human who is also a criminal is just not appropriate.”

Most people actively sharing their opinions outside the event spoke out in opposition to Trump, but junior Dimitrios Spanos was decked out in Trump garb and an American flag to show his support.

While Spanos likes Trump’s policies more than his personality, he believes that Trump’s flaws have been given a disproportionate spotlight to those of President Joe Biden and it was important to show up here given that he believes the majority of students on campus are opposed to Trump.

“I feel like (between Trump and Biden), maybe in the long run neither of them are good choices, but I think Trump is the better choice and coming out in all of this gear is just the way for me to counteract the sheer amount of other people who are saying bad things about him and I think I can be a counterweight to that,” he said.

While the majority of the crowd actively protesting was opposed to Trump, most of individuals in the crowd overall were mostly just watching to see the event unfold. There, among those passive onlookers, there were also varied opinions.

Sophomore Augustine Twite was too young to vote in the 2020 Election, but expects to vote for him in 2024. While Twite’s support for Trump isn’t solid, he was hoping to see him entering the event and “wanted to give him a big kiss,” also disagreeing with those who felt that it was inappropriate for him to come to the college.

“I mean, although it seemed like all the things he did was bad, he did the country first. He just wants to work for the people and the people want him because he’s a good guy. Although he might have done bad things in the past, he just wants to serve the country,” said Twite. “Everybody has a different reason (for their opinions), I have my reasons, they have their reasons, but we live in a country where we have free speech. So they have the right to agree or disagree with me, but I think (Trump) just wants to serve the people.”

Tom Nelson, a senior and voter for Biden in 2020, says that New Hampshire’s unique role in the presidential nomination process and this event’s role in that process is a net benefit for the college, but that was the only positive thought he had toward Wednesday’s events after a federal jury awarded $5 million in total damages against him regarding rape allegations from the 1990s.

“I think it’s disappointing to be honest considering the news yesterday and just what he was found guilty of,” said Nelson. “Overall, I’m not a fan of him and I’m just disappointed that he’s here during finals week, because it’s been a disruption.”

Nelson agreed with Spanos in that the majority of students are likely opposed to Trump, but not everyone in the crowd outside the event was either for or against him. Freshman Nora McGuinness just wanted to be part of the atmosphere.

McGuiness, a Bedford resident, has not decided who she will vote for yet and believes the study body is evenly split on the partisan divisions.

“I think it’s pretty cool that this event is happening here at our school, so I just wanted to come out and see (it),” she said. “I’m pretty neutral with politics, I just wanted to see what this is all about.”