CLEVELAND — Delegates from all across the nation flocked to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland last night. The venue featured a welcoming party for all the delegates, alternates, and their guests, who are in Cleveland this week for the GOP Convention. The event, which organizers estimated had an attendance of 11,000 partiers, was arranged by the Cleveland 2016 Host Committee.

The New American was there and interviewed delegates on their thoughts about the convention, which officially kicks off at 1 p.m. today. One delegate from Wisconsin, who wished to remain anonymous, told The New American that he personally didn’t like anything about the party’s presumptive nominee, Donald Trump, but would do his job as a delegate and vote for him.

Others were much more enthusiastic, such as Joe Gruters, vice chairman of the Republican Party of Florida. Gruters told The New American that he felt Donald Trump’s “first taste” for presidential aspirations began in Sarasota, Florida, in 2012 when Trump was awarded the Statesmen of the Year award. Gruter said that Trump energized and excited attendees with his speech upon accepting the award, and Gruter believes that may have been the moment that Trump began seriously thinking about running for president. Gruter attributed much of Trump’s popularity to his business success and the fact that voters “want a guy who knows how to really lift businesses up and people out of poverty.” Gruter likewise feels that Trump’s stances on trade and immigration “put Americans first and that’s why he’s going to win the election in November.”

Trump’s stance on immigration can already be felt with the latest draft of the GOP platform. The draft, which is not yet public and still needs to be ratified by a vote of the delegates this week, includes provisions cracking down on amnesty, sanctuary cities, and guest-worker programs. Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who chaired the subcommittee handling immigration, explained that the “Trump campaign — with the candidate so vocally in favor of enforcing our laws, deportation, and a wall — has made it very easy for the platform to move further to the right on immigration because the presidential candidate is already there.” The platform includes a provision known as Kate’s Law, which is named after Kate Steinle, who was murdered by an illegal immigrant. Kate’s Law makes it a mandatory five-year prison sentence for any illegal alien caught trying to return to the United States after being deported previously.

But it wasn’t just delegates who expressed support for Trump. Vincent Fusco, a business owner from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, traveled to Cleveland as a guest with a friend who is a delegate. Fusco told The New American that Trump “is the man for our times” and drew comparisons to George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Fusco made reference to international events and said that America needs for Trump to prioritize solving our domestic ills. “How can we take care of the rest of the world if we don’t care of ourselves first?” Fusco asked. Fusco was so passionate about supporting Trump that he created what he calls “the Trumpmobile.”



There were a fair amount of delegates who, even though Trump was not their first pick during the primaries, are strong backers of him now. Two women by the names of Corky and Barbara were originally supporters of Ben Carson but are now firmly behind Trump. The women wore shirts they made themselves that emphasized their rationale for “getting on the Trump train.” Barbara told Republicans that they need to unite behind Trump for three reasons; “Supreme Court! Supreme Court! Supreme Court!”

Follow @NewAmericanMag for all the latest updates on the #GOPConvention as The New American will be live-tweeting from the convention all week.