Donald Trump makes campaign stop in High Point
By James Ensor// Editor-In-Chief
On Tuesday, Sept. 20, republican presidential candidate Donald Trump held a campaign rally in the Millis Athletic and Convocation Center on the campus of High Point University.
Trump was scheduled to begin at noon but did not start his rally speech until 1 p.m.
With a focus on national security, Trump’s speech lasted just under 30 minutes.
“Immigration security is national security,” Trump said. “We must defeat radical Islamic terrorism.”
Trump explained his views on immigration and what he believed to be the biggest issues the U.S. faces.
“Anyone who cannot name our enemy is unfit to lead this country,” Trump said. “If you can’t name your enemy, you don’t know what the problem is. If you don’t know what the problem is, you’re never going to fix the problem.”
The Millis Athletic and Convocation Center housed around 2,500 attendees for the rally. Many attendees included HPU students and members from the surrounding community.
A group of students hosted a peaceful protest against the campaign’s visit in the Hayworth Park from 10 a.m. to noon.
“Having a presidential candidate on campus is a great opportunity not only for the school, but also for students to get more involved with the political process,” Erik Daniels, president of HPU College Democrats, said. “This election is one of the most controversial in modern history, which just makes a visit from a candidate even more exciting. We all should be concerned over the choices and policies our politicians make because they could affect our future which I assume most college students think about regularly.”
Tickets for the event were provided through the Trump campaign website and were available free-of-charge.
“Regardless of party ID, being able to hear a presidential candidate so close to election day is such a valuable experience that should not be taken for granted,” Sarah Moss, president of HPU College Republicans, said. “Having a possible president come to our university and share their beliefs with us is an honor and a great opportunity for staff and students. Most importantly, it allows us to understand their values and ideas without the media interpreting it for us. Not everything in life is comfortable and it is important to recognize that though you may not identify with a certain candidate, attending the event will only inform and educate you on that candidate’s policies.”
In addition to covering national security, Trump also spoke on the U.S.’ economy.
“We’re going to rebuild our country,” Trump said. “Our country is a mess with $20 trillion in debt.”
Trump spoke on job creation and his economic agenda.
“My economic agenda can be summed up in three beautiful words- jobs, jobs, jobs,” Trump said. “American hands will rebuild this nation. American workers will be hired to do the job.”
This campaign stop was Trump’s third visit to the Triad since June, with prior visits in Greensboro and Winston-Salem.
Trump’s final words at the rally included his vision for the future of the U.S.
“It’s time to break with the bitter failures of the past and to embrace a new inclusive prosperity and the American future because that’s what it’s going to be,” Trump said. “Once more we will have a government of, by and for the people. We will make America wealthy again. We will make America strong again. We will make America safe again and we will make America great again.”