Butler County shares thoughts on Trump rally, key election issues
For both Democrats and Republicans, Donald Trump’s campaign stop to the Butler Farm Show grounds on Saturday, July 13, is an opportunity to put a small town on the map in a contentious presidential election.
More than half the registered voters in Butler County are Republicans. The rally could be an opportunity for Trump, as well as voters, to voice their priorities and concerns ahead of November.
Sherrie Foley, of Butler Township, said she hopes Trump will take the opportunity at the rally to clarify his stance on key issues and answer questions.
“I would like him to actually answer questions,” she said. “That’s a big thing for me. I was talking to my husband about the debate. People, I feel like, would respect him more if he would actually answer a question instead of defending himself constantly.”
“What is he going to do about Japan buying U.S. Steel?” the Cleveland-Cliffs worker said. “What is his plan to decrease inflation (and) bring more jobs, make some tax cuts to businesses so that they can keep their businesses here in America?”
Foley and her husband, Birch, attended Trump’s last visit to the county in 2020 and said they believe the economy would be better with Trump in office. Sherrie Foley also named issues including abortion restrictions and illegal immigration as reasons she will vote for Trump this November.
Gary Schmiedecke, a retired electrical engineer from Butler Township, said he is excited about the former president visiting “a small town.” While he won’t be attending the rally, Schmiedecke said he intends to vote for Trump in November, citing concerns about border security, the economy and discussion of President Joe Biden’s health and competency.
“I want all candidates to find Butler County to be of value to their campaign,” said Chris Arnold, a Democrat in Jackson Township.
“I don’t agree with (Trump’s) principles, with the way he does business, and that’s not my choice,” he said. “But I think its important that all candidates get the opportunity to hopefully be in Butler.”
Arnold, who is retired and used to work in sales, said he used to be a Republican, but changed parties 20 years ago. He called Trump’s rhetoric “disruptive,” and said he didn’t agree with the idea of Trump being the defining voice of the Republican Party.
“I was a Republican for a good portion of my life,” Arnold said. “I feel the Republican Party has lost its way recently. I want to have strong Republicans. I just want them to be considerate of others’ opinions.”
Linda Pitzer, a Republican of Franklin Township, said she won’t be voting for Trump, but is happy he’s making an appearance in Butler.
“I’m glad he’s coming to Western Pa.,” she said. “Sometimes it seems like we’re left out.”
“When people talk about Pennsylvania, all you hear about is Philadelphia, maybe Pittsburgh,” Pitzer said. “I think that could be a reason, if not the only reason, why people don’t vote, because they don’t feel like it’s important, or that anybody really cares if they vote.”
“By Trump coming, that should energize people to vote,” she said.
The veteran, who has served in the Army for 24 years, said she will not be voting for Trump or President Joe Biden in the upcoming presidential election, instead opting to vote for Nikki Haley.
“I’m retired military,” she said. “(Trump has) made so many off-the-cuff comments.”
In particular, Pitzer recalled Trump’s comments about former Sen. John McCain. During a televised exchange during the 2015 Family Leadership Summit, Trump called McCain, who was captured during the Vietnam War, a loser and “not a war hero.”
“That was horrible for anybody to say, much less a president,” Pitzer said.
Glenn Morris, of Butler Township, said he won’t be attending the rally, and expressed disappointment with both presidential candidates.
“I think (Trump) just tells people what they want to hear anyway,” Morris said. “At the last debate, they asked him a question, and he never answered one of their questions.”
“I think (politicians) just tell each other what they think you want to hear to get your vote and then do what they want to do anyway,” he said.
At 23 years old in the Army, Morris was a Republican. The veteran now identifies as “more Democrat,” which he explained was due to funding and support for members of the military shown by the Democratic Party.
As the presidential election approaches, Jessica Nicely, who moved to Butler a year ago from Richmond, Va., said she considers herself a political moderate.
She said she was not surprised to learn of Trumps’s visit to Butler County, given the Republican voter base.
“I’m not super excited, but I know a lot of people in the area are pretty excited about it,” she said.
When asked if she knew which candidate she plans to vote for in November, Nicely replied she was undecided.
“I watched the debate and that really made me nervous,” Nicely said. “Neither of (the candidates) were really talking about issues that were important. I know there was one question about day care costs, and they never answered the question because they kept going back and forth ... insulting each other.”
“So, it’s kind of like, are they going to really deal with these issues?” she said. “Or is it going to be another four years of whatever this is?”
