Northern Nevadans welcomed Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump to the Grand Sierra Resort Casino on Friday for an evening campaign rally.
Tired and hot, supporters stood in a line that snaked through the casino halls and anxiously waited to see if they would be lucky enough to see Trump up close. Turnout exceeded the venue’s capacity, forcing many who had arrived in the early afternoon to watch from an alternate location on a video board rather than getting a spot in the main ballroom to witness Trump’s speech firsthand.
Supporters in line and in the viewing room were asked one question: What would you like to see our country and the world look like in four years time? Here is how they answered:
Paul, 53, Director for a telecom company
“Looks like a family reunion. That means, just like you see everybody coming here, all different shades and colors and nationalities and genders and everything, you know, we’re coming here for a cause and I think that when we realize that we have power in just this right here, unity, we don’t need any one politician to do anything, we can actually do it for ourselves, you know, so hopefully, we realize the power we have … and we start coming together again, where the neighborhood raises the children type of thing. And we can do it, and this is proven, you know, I mean the culture has definitely changed and we just need to rewrite the definition of what the future looks like now because we could take what we learned in the past and make it even better and just rewrite what freedom looks like today in 2024.”
Sandy, 65, Daycare teacher
“Closed borders, prosperity for America, and US citizens being number one in America. That’s [the] most important. We should always be number one in our country. So, it’s like, I know some things happened to me where I felt like I was the foreigner coming into my homeland, and I don’t like that. So yeah, I say closed borders and Trump as our president.”
Jacob, 21, Mechanic
“Yeah, so obviously, I think the last four years the American dream has been dead. I would like to, the next couple years, own a house, which has been pretty difficult in the economy we’re currently in. Obviously no new wars. I think peace is good, you know, throughout the world. Definitely bring back American jobs rather than having them overseas and what not. Bring, you know, instead of all the foreign spending of money, invest that in veterans, and schools, teachers, stuff like that, and just more affordability for, you know, economy wise, food, housing, all that kind of stuff.”
Dionicio, 22, no profession
“Well, I want to see no new wars. I want to see a sealed border. I want to see a good majority of the illegal immigrants kicked out of our country. Oh, I want our economy to be booming. I want us to be respected on the world stage. And, I want to make America great again.”
Kailey, 19, soon to be a Chick-fil-A employee interested in pursuing film production
“In four years time definitely cheaper, a lot cheaper, because when Trump was president, even though I was still a kid at that point and couldn’t vote, it was still a lot cheaper for my parents and I know it’s a lot harder for my family and most of the people I’ve talked to, to afford things, so that’s definitely one big thing, and then probably the second thing I would say is more unity. I think as a country we’re pretty divided and we’re just attacking each other, so, I think to see, you know, all of us together, whether we’re Republicans or Democrats or neither, to just be more peaceful and, you know, like each other more.”
Cynthia, 71, educator for 30 years
“I’d like to see no wars. Everyone have opportunity for economic advancement. I’d like to see crime lower. I’d like to see children not being abused. I’d like to see people united, and people patriotic for America, and not be so divided and hateful. No hate.”
Carlos, 21, entrepreneur
“Well, what I want to see is that we actually help our people. I don’t know if you just saw the devastation with Hurricane Helene and stuff... All I want is just to help our people, I don’t want any more lives to be going away, especially that they died from a flooding. I can’t even imagine dying from that. So all I want is just a better life, it used to be the American dream and I just want that possible again.”
Reporting by Piper Heath for Nevada Vote shared with Our Town Reno