MONTGOMERY, AL – Republican voters are rallying around former President Donald Trump following his indictment and not guilty plea related to his actions during the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot and alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
Fox News Digital traveled to Montgomery, Alabama, on Friday for Trump’s first speech following his arraignment in a Washington, D.C., federal court, which he gave to the state Republican Party’s summer meeting. Fox asked several attendees about the charges and whom they plan to support for the party’s presidential nomination.
“Are you serious?” one attendee named Mike responded. “Donald Trump is the best president that this country has ever had . . . and that goes back to Ronald Reagan. [Reagan] was a great president, and he ain’t as good as Donald Trump.”
Former President Donald Trump gestures on stage during the Alabama Republican Party’s 2023 Summer meeting at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel on August 4, 2023, in Montgomery, Alabama. (Julie Bennett/Getty Images)
“Donald J. Trump,” attendee Billie Rae simply said as her husband, Tim, agreed. “Trump all the way.”
Attendees Julie and C.J. could hardly hide their enthusiasm for the former president as they shouted his name for all those exiting the event to hear. “President Trump! Go Trump! Go, go, go!”
“Who else would we support?” C.J. said. “Our immigration problem, our economy? Trump. We’ve got to. We’ve got to bring America back. It’s terrible what Biden has done to our country. It’s horrible. We’ve got to get it back.”
People queue to attend the ALGOP Summer Meeting where former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is expected to deliver remarks to Alabama Republicans, in Montgomery, Alabama, U.S. August 4, 2023. (REUTERS/Cheney Orr)
Other attendees echoed that sentiment, but Alabama State Sen. Lance Bell said he had not yet made his decision and would have to see how things play out between then and the state’s primary in March. When asked whether he felt the charges against Trump would hurt or help his support, Bell said they are clearly helping.
“I think the charges are helping him, because people are seeing the political prosecution,” he said. “So I think the charges are helping him pick up support. It’s sad when we’re having that in our country — when we’re having political prosecutions.”
Sheila, Beverly, Kim and Lori all agreed that more charges being brought against Trump were helping him gain support. “His numbers go up every time they indict him,” Lori said.
PENCE COMES OUT SWINGING AT TRUMP FOLLOWING JAN 6 INDICTMENT: ‘SHOULD NEVER BE PRESIDENT’
Former President Donald Trump speaks during the Alabama Republican Party’s 2023 Summer meeting at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel on August 4, 2023, in Montgomery, Alabama. (Julie Bennett/Getty Images)
“They’re pretty frivolous, and a new indictment seems to come out whenever they want to try and hide something on the Biden Crime Family, as [Trump] referred to them. People aren’t dumb. We’re smart people, and we can see through those tactics that he and his cronies are doing,” Sheila said.
Frank and Paulina also agreed, while Clay said he thought the indictments were intended to convince soft Republicans and independent voters to not support Trump.
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“It’s definitely an attack on that,” he said. Paulina declared, “Smart people know a smokescreen when they see one.”
