Trinidad and Tobago Trump supporters to host US election watch party

KRISTEN-LE CHELLE WINCHESTER

A Trinidad and Tobago Donald Trump supporter is rallying local backers of US presidential candidate, urging them to stand united on election night on November 5 in support of his re-election bid.

Trump, a former president and current presidential candidate for the US Republican Party, will square off against the Democratic Party's candidate, sitting US vice president Kamala Harris.

Former US and TT journalist Eve George, the event's organiser, emphasised the significance of the planned watch party, describing it as a historical moment.

Speaking with Newsday by phone on October 16, George said, “This is history being created in our country, and there is nobody in our country that has ever done this.

“That night is going to be etched in our nation's history forever.”

George said she was supportive of the Republican candidate’s policies, specifically highlighting the reintegration of religious studies into the schools' curriculum.

“We support the stand that he has made for Christianity and bringing God and the Bible back into schools. There are a lot of policies that he has made that we support as the more conservative-thinking people in society.

“We decided we wanted to do something and bring the supporters of President Trump in TT together to just celebrate that night and have a nice evening together while looking at the elections as it's open.

“So far, we have had mostly people who are those that belong to the business society. They are more supporters of President Trump because they understand the policies that he made to make the American economy the highest ever recorded in history.”

George sharply criticised the media’s portrayal of Trump, accusing them of deliberately “demonising” him in their coverage.

“Every morning I would turn on my television to all these stations and the first thing you see when you flip is just complete hatred for a man. As a journalist, I said to myself, 'This is not journalism and this is not responsible reporting. It is pure hatred.'”

A flyer promoting the event and featuring Trump's Make America Great Again (MAGA) campaign slogan has been circulated on social media and has generated widespread attention.

George said she began sharing the flyer three days ago to a few friends, and since its dissemination, she has received numerous calls.

“Since the brochure has been out, people have been constantly calling. Some people are in shock because they do not believe this is actually happening in our country. They cannot believe there are people who are brave enough to stand up and do something like this.

“Persons in the hierarchies of society called, and different persons from embassies and associations affiliated with certain groups have called to see if this is actually happening in Trinidad.”

The watch party will be open to the public but Trump supporters are preferred, said George. It will be held on November 5 at 5 Cipriani Boulevard, Port of Spain, at 8 pm.

She said the building will be decorated to resemble a Trump campaign office and food and drinks will be for on sale. Complimentary MAGA hats will be available to all supporters.

US 2024 presidential elections

Trump, the Republican party’s candidate, and the Democratic party’s Kamala Harris, are vying for the POTUS (President of the US) title.

At the time of this publication, BBC News reported Harris as having a national polling average of 49 per cent while Trump was polling at 46 per cent.

The candidates met on the presidential debate stage in Philadelphia on September 10 to discuss key election topics relating to the economy, immigration and border security, abortion and foreign policy.