In just over a month in office, President Donald Trump has been assailed by critics near and far for cracking down on immigrants, appointing millionaires to his administration and employing a communication style that goes to brash and beyond.
But even in the reliably liberal enclaves of the Pioneer Valley, there are voices of support — people who backed him from the start as well as those who are slowly coming around to the businessman-turned-president.
In Hampshire County, Trump took 21,790 votes versus 55,367 for Democrat Hillary Clinton. One of those who cast their ballots for the Republican was Northampton resident Joseph Tarantino, who joins other supporters in praising Trump for sticking to his campaign promises.
“He understands the promises that he made and nobody needs to sit him down, he doesn’t need a political consultant to tell him he needs to keep his promises,” said Tarantino, a 52-year-old Republican party activist. “That shows he remembers what he said. That he wasn’t lying when he said it and that he is going to do what he can to keep his word, to keep his promises.”
While Trump has come under fire in some corners for making outrageous statements via Twitter and in public appearances, many of the new president’s supporters say his outspoken personality is a plus.
“I think that Mr. Trump has done well because he is so different,” Northampton retiree Anne Torrey, 86, said. “He is a different animal from the political animals that have come in and having just a background in politics, politics, politics. He’s been a businessman.”
And while Democratic legislators have vowed to fight some nominations, Trump supporters interviewed by the Gazette are happy with the choices the president has made.
“I’m hoping that maybe shaking things up a little bit might change things,” said Bill Johnson, 59, chairman of the Granby Republican town committee. “When you get the same set of eyes on a problem and the problem doesn’t change and you keep on just shifting the same type of person in that position … (Education Secretary) Betsy DeVos, can she do any worse than what is going on now? I don’t think so.”
“That’s what I’m seeing with Trump,” Johnson continued. “He’s willing to make some changes.”
As Trump defines his first 100 days in office, those opposed to the new president continue to protest and demand action from their legislators.
At the same time, people like Tarantino, Torrey and Johnson celebrate his actions and wait to see what promises Trump will make good on next. And some of them say that, at times, the new president may learn to take a more patient approach to change.
Sitting at the bar in the Bluebonnet Diner last Friday morning, Southampton resident and Vietnam veteran Don Digiammo, 67, said he’s glad Trump has stayed true to his campaign promise of building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. “I like the wall issue. I like the fact that people will do what they say they are going to do,” he said.
At the diner’s front counter, Granby resident Robin LaBorde, 62, said he likes Trump’s tough stance on immigration.
“The way he is going on immigration, personally, I’m happy with it,” LaBorde said. “(I’m) looking forward to see what he will do with taxes.” He added, “I like that he seems to support the military and police.”
One of his most controversial steps on immigration was a Jan. 27 executive order that froze refugee resettlement and travel to the United States for nationals of seven Muslim-majority countries — Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Yemen, Sudan and Somalia — and ignited outrage here and abroad before ultimately being blocked by multiple courts throughout the country.
While Johnson agreed with the order, he said the president erred in not allowing a window of time for it to take effect.
“I agree 100 percent with what he did. I don’t agree with how he did it,” he said. “I think that is what he needs to become a little more measured and look at the repercussions for that.”
On the campaign trail, Trump promised to immediately repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. That action has been particularly of interest for Johnson, who as a small business owner said the ACA has limited his company’s growth.
“One of the first things Trump did was to sign an executive order that businesses and individuals that don’t meet the criteria for the Affordable Care Act would not be fined. Now, after four years, we can finally hire more employees,” he said.
Johnson said on Nov. 8 he “begrudgingly” voted for Trump and was apprehensive about the president-elect. A month into his presidency, he said his worries have abated. “Trump’s concentration on getting rid of regulation to the small businesses has really eased my concern.”
In the first month, Tarantino said the president has provided more “substance than would be reasonably expected in that time period.” He said a Trump shortfall has been his lack of leadership when it comes to health care reform.
“I think that some of the squabbling between some of the Republicans. We were supposed to have Obamacare repealed on day one and we were supposed to have a replacement ready to go,” he said. “I think that Mr. Trump is not showing the leadership he needs to knock heads up on Capitol Hill and come up with his own plan and try to get it done.”
Johnson said at times he found the president to be brash. His wife, Tracey Johnson, said that is part of his appeal.
“He’s not a politician,” Tracey Johnson said. “That’s just it. He’s not a politician, he’s a regular person.”
Unlike her husband, Tracey was excited from the start to vote for Trump.
“I think because nobody owned him. He didn’t owe anybody anything,” she said. “He could go in there and just get things done.”
While Torrey said she finds the president “mouthy,” she is quick to add that he is an educated man.
“I’ve not been unhappy with anything he has done. He’s a gentleman who’s has enough experience with his life and his business to know how to conduct meetings and make them successful,” she said. “He seems to be able to talk with people. That to me is a good sign.”
Tarantino acknowledged that the president’s “personality leaves a lot to be desired.” Tarantino serves as the co-chairman of the Hampshire County Western Massachusetts Republicans and chairman of the Northampton Republican City Committee.
“… Especially when he is talking about crowd size and he seems to get caught up on these irrelevant things,” Tarantino said. “But there is a kind of, almost a kind of genius in that.”
Commenting on his Twitter use — the president has tweeted from his personal account more than 200 times since the inauguration — Tarantino sees it as a way to directly connect with the people.
“That is the president of the United States talking to me without going through the New York Times … he is talking directly to me,” he said. “I got it straight from the president. There is a person-to-person connection. I know he has got 20 million followers and that it is not to me individually — while it is not to me individually, it is to me directly.”
Tarantino said he’s been “very encouraged” by the response of Democrats, referring to them as “hysterical.” But not everyone agrees that the rancor is healthy.
For Torrey, a lifelong Republican who grew up in Scituate, the reactions have been disheartening. “It saddens me to see so many people immediately saying impeach the gentleman. I mean, give me a break, this is not just how the country runs,” she said.
Even with all the protests, petitions and letters to the editor, Trump supporters say he’s off to a good start.
“Considering all the opposition he is getting from the other side … he’s done pretty good,” Digiammo said.
LaBorde echoed the sentiment.
“I’m looking forward to him doing what he said he was going to do,” LaBorde said. “If he does, I’m going to be very happy.”
Just as Trump’s inauguration speech centered on putting the United States first, those who spoke with the Gazette said they weren’t concerned about some of the negative reactions the president has received abroad.
For LaBorde, the reactions indicate the other countries have some learning to do.
“I think that they are going to learn that he means what he says. I think he is putting us on a positive path,” he said. “I think a lot of other countries are on different paths. I think ours is better.”
Tarantino said he’d like to see other countries begin to consider what the U.S. thinks of them, not the other way around.
“I don’t care because I care about this country and I think that we have like this moral exhibitionism … ‘Look at us, and look at our values, look at how the world thinks of us,’” he said. “And it’s my God, it’s… if we were to keep the base at Guantanamo open and keep the prisoners there — ‘what is the Arab Street going to think.’ You know what, I’m sick of hearing about the Arab Street. I want the Arab Street to worry about what the American Street (thinks).”
Bill Johnson also said he didn’t care what other countries think as long as the U.S. isn’t committing “atrocities.”
“Why should I care what other countries think about us? I want them to respect us,” he said. “We should do good things.”
Johnson stated bluntly, “Why do we care what Mexico thinks?”
“England’s got their own problems with the euro and Brexit and all that,” he said. “Gee, I thought we fought that war 230 years ago. Why do we care what England thinks? We didn’t like what England thought 230 years go, why should we worry about it now?”
Emily Cutts can be reached at ecutts@gazettenet.com.
This article has been updated.