There are some folks living in deep-blue Hampshire County who aren’t afraid to call attention to their support for President Donald Trump and their hopes for his reelection in three weeks.
They cite the president’s support for farmers, his criminal justice reform efforts, his opposition to abortion and the way he’s framed patriotism.
It’s not a mystery that Hampshire County isn’t exactly Trump country. Democrat Hillary Clinton carried the county with 65% of the vote in the 2016 presidential election, despite Trump’s flipping three towns that backed Barack Obama in both 2008 and 2012 — Granby, Huntington and Ware. And this year, Democrat Joe Biden appears poised to win big in Hampshire County as well, in what may be a commanding win across the state.
Still, the president does have his strong supporters in the area, a number of whom have chosen to display their political preference via flags and yard signs. Some have gotten grief for their backing of the president, but every Hampshire County Trump supporter interviewed remained steadfast in their support.
“He supports the working guy,” said Don Sicard, speaking in front of a Trump sign in Southampton.
A disabled combat veteran who served in the Vietnam War, Sicard said that the president has “done a lot to push the V.A. forward,” and he credits Trump with supporting the military and the police.
As for the president reportedly calling troops who died in combat “losers,” Sicard said he doesn’t buy the story.
“I just want to thank Trump for being the president that he is and the job he’s doing for the veterans,” Sicard said.
A political independent, Sicard said that he votes for the person he thinks is doing the right job, and he believes Trump will get a second term. He also said that he hasn’t gotten any hassle for being a Trump supporter and that his neighborhood, which includes both Trump and Biden supporters, takes care of one another.
Dale Binette, 52, said he was a lifelong Democrat until 2016 when he decided it was time to give a Republican a chance, and he backed Trump. Now, in 2020, he flies a Trump flag outside of his Hatfield home.
“I think he’s done a pretty great job,” said Binette, adding that it seems like Trump has done more for the U.S. than any other president in his lifetime.
Binette said that he likes the president’s tax cuts and his work on criminal justice reform.
“There’s too many people in jail who don’t need to be in jail,” he said.
Binette said that he gets “razzed a little bit,” by some of his friends on Facebook for supporting the president, but that this “doesn’t bother” him.
“I’m out there saying, ‘Vote Trump, vote Trump,’” said Binette, who thinks that four more years of the president’s administration will make the country stronger.
A neighbor clearly disagrees, and has placed signs with “Dump Trump” written on them on a wagon near his property line. Despite their political differences, Binette described his neighbor as a “good guy.”
The only trouble Binette has received about his Trump flag is when someone walking by asked him if he was a racist.
“Not one bit. What about you?” Binette replied, who said that the man kept walking.
“It was kind of funny,” he added.
Lynda and Dan Broadhurst and their son, Jacob, make up a household of Trump voters in Easthampton.
“He may not be the most eloquent speaker. Sometimes I wish he wouldn’t tweet some of the things he does. But I agree with the things he’s done,” Lynda Broadhurst said. “What he is looking for is what I’m looking for.”
Both Lynda and Jacob cited Trump’s anti-abortion views as a reason why they’re supporting him.
“He’s the most pro-life president we’ve ever had,” said Jacob.
For her part, Lynda said that she doesn’t “see the reason for abortion.”
“There’s so many people out there that want babies,” she said. “I’m really against it for people who use it for birth control.”
Jacob, 20, will vote in his first presidential election this year, though he supported Trump four years ago and lost longtime friends because of it.
“I lost so many friends just because I supported Trump,” he said.
Lynda said that it’s difficult being a visible Trump supporter in the area, but that hasn’t stopped the family from putting a Trump sign in their yard.
“I struggled with putting the sign out actually,” said Lynda. “I don’t want trouble.”
Lynda said that this isn’t a Trump area, and she doesn’t admit her support of the president to a lot of people.
“I’m tired of people judging people for that,” she said.
Jacob expressed his belief that Trump would win another term. And he also said that he thinks Bernie Sanders would have been a more formidable opponent for Trump in 2016 and in 2020, even though he thinks Sanders’ policies are worse than Biden’s.
“I honestly don’t see any way Trump loses this election,” he said.
In the offices of Szawlowski Potato Farms, there is a cutout of Trump, as well as a “Farmers For Trump” banner.
Frank Szawlowski, 82, one of the owners of the prominent potato farming operation, described Trump as “the best president I’ve ever had.”
“He isn’t perfect, but who is?” added Szawlowski.
He said that Trump works for the hardworking American, and praised his support for farmers specifically.
“He watches out for the poor, hardworking American,” he said.
However, as a business person, he said he hasn’t been displaying signs and banners outside.
“You want to be friends with everybody,” he said.
Frank’s daughter, Shelley Szawlowski, who works for the business, said that her brother Frank put up a Trump flag on one of their barns.
“The next day the barn door was torn down,” she said. “The flag was burned and the door was burned in the road.”
The Szawlowskis, however, chose not to involve the authorities.
Shelley said that truck drivers love getting their picture with the Trump cutout in the offices. And she said that she supports the president because he has common sense.
“We’re common people. We grow potatoes. We want common sense,” she said.
Andrew Gaines, who also works for the business, supports Trump because he’s “bringing patriotism back.”
“It’s just nice to see the American flag everywhere,” he said.
Carol Mattingly, another employee, cited biblical values, opposition to abortion and Trump being a businessman as reasons for her support of the president.
Shelley said that being a Trump supporter hasn’t been an issue for her, which she attributed to the respect the family has in the community.
“We make food for people to eat to survive,” she said.
Bera Dunau can be reached at bdunau@gazettenet.com.