Trump train stops in Huntington to let off steam

Long Islanders took to the streets to share their support for President Donald Trump. // Photo courtesy of Marjorie Rogers

Hundreds of President Donald Trump’s supporters took to the streets of Huntington on Sunday, Sept. 27, to voice their support for his reelection campaign. A parade of supporters drove down Main Street, while participants on the side of the road expressed their support and others counterprotested.

“This is the most important election in the entire history of this country,” said Thomas, a parade attendee who declined to give his last name.

Thomas, 33, of Rocky Point, said he came to the Huntington rally to voice his support for Trump and patronize the local businesses, many of which are faced with major financial difficulties due to the coronavirus pandemic. He added that the biggest issue for him in the upcoming election is gun control.

“I am a big Second Amendment supporter,” said Thomas, who identified himself as a “single-issue” voter. “I can’t vote for a liberal who wants to restrict our rights.”

Attendees hung out of their cars and held flags supporting law enforcement, Trump and America as they paraded through the streets of Huntington. // Photo courtesy of Marjorie Rogers

Thomas dismissed the counterprotests as insignificant to the overall event and the election. “The left doesn’t have a unifying message,” he said. “Do you see Biden parades?”

Counterprotesters at the rally drove through with LGBTQ+ flags and Black Lives Matter banners on their cars. Others stood on the streets holding up campaign signs for former Vice President Joe Biden.

“I was taking my mom out to lunch and I fell into the midst of this,” said Susan Bloom, a Locust Valley resident and Biden supporter who attended the Trump rally to counterprotest. “I took my mom home and came back because I have to stand up for what I believe.”

Bloom said the issues that stand out to her in this election are gender equality, racial equality and universal healthcare.

“We always tell people there’s one race and it’s humanity,” said Leah, another Trump supporter who attended the rally but declined to give her last name.

The election is a hot topic on campus as well. Hofstra student voters are also thinking about the Black Lives Matter movement this election.

“My concern is with my people,” said Cervantes Wilson, a sophomore TV production major who identifies as Black and Latino. “Black people and Latino people, you need to vote.”

Other students cited concerns over Trump’s nominee for Supreme Court, Amy Coney Barrett, in terms of racial equality.

“Race relations are at the forefront of my mind,” said Steven Curd, a sophomore biology major. “[I’m] also worried about equality in general for all groups because with [Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s] sad death, it’s making a lot of people worried over reproductive rights and fear that some strides in the LGBTQ+ community will be pushed back.”

Members of the LGBTQ+ community at Hofstra have also expressed concerns over Barrett’s nomination for the Supreme Court.

“I am scared of Amy Coney Barrett being sworn into the court because she has very conservative views and truly believes in making the U.S. ‘a kingdom of God,’” said Aiden Holubeck, a sophomore drama major. “As a queer person myself, I would like to have rights and be protected by the government.”

Some Hofstra students think Long Island Trump supporters’ efforts to flip New York, a solid blue state, are a long shot.

“The Democratic presence of urban New York is a little [too] powerful to be contested by Trump voters,” Curd said.

Wilson emphasized that it is crucial for young people to vote this year and stay politically engaged. He added that members of disadvantaged groups cannot afford to stay out of politics and must stand up for their rights.

“You can’t complain [about] how bad this country is if you’re not taking action,” Wilson said. “If you don’t like something, verbalize it, but put some action behind it.”