Republicans turn out for ‘hardest working volunteer’ Trump

About 50 people filed into President Donald Trump’s Henderson campaign office on Wednesday to watch the third night of the Republican National Convention.

The group of mostly campaign volunteers sported various Trump-related clothing as they nodded and called out in agreement during the early evening speeches, even cheering when speakers referenced the recent peace talks between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

Jo Lawson, of Henderson, was among them.

“I feel like the president is the hardest working volunteer I’ve ever heard of, and I think the least that I could do is volunteer in return on his behalf,” Lawson said.

In addition to Middle East peace talks, Lawson said the economy and school choice were top issues through which the president gained her support.

“He brought (school choice) up, and it showed me that President Trump is listening to what’s important for Black voters,” said Lawson, who is Black. “Black voters want to be able to start with their kids and be able to send their kids to schools — good schools — fairly.”

Lawson said Democrats have opposed school choice, charter schools and opportunity scholarships for African-Americans. Although her son is now an adult, she said she would have rather sent him to a better school than the one assigned to her ZIP code.

Andy Thompson, also of Henderson, said he had not caught much of the first two nights of the convention, but he was encouraged by the Republicans’ strategy.

“(To) reverse the narrative that’s being painted of Trump and put real people in real situations whose stories (and) whose experiences contradict what’s being said about him by a large number of people in many parts of this country,” Thompson explained.

Assemblyman Glen Leavitt, R-Boulder City, and Congressional District 3 challenger Dan Rodimer spoke to kick off the event, which was preceded by a campaign training session for the volunteers.

Both stressed that the Republicans’ convention showed a plan for the country’s future, while Democrats are only focused on removing Trump.

In an interview, Rodimer said winning the 3rd District, a swing district that encompasses Henderson, Boulder City and part of southern Las Vegas, would be key to Trump’s victory in Nevada. He said voters know Trump is the better choice to rebuild the country’s economy after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Once this COVID situation is over, we’re going to bring back jobs, and we’re going to rebuild the economy,” he said. “It’s a big circle.”

In response to the event, Nevada State Democratic Party spokeswoman Madison Mundy said the reason the pandemic is not yet over — and about a thousand Americans are dying from COVID-related causes each day — is because Trump failed to decisively respond.

“Joe Biden has a plan to get this virus under control, and he has a plan to build back our economy by investing in technologies that will keep this planet habitable for this generation and those after,” Mundy said.

Contact Rory Appleton at rappleton@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0276. Follow @RoryDoesPhonics on Twitter.