Donald Trump doesn’t seem to have many fans these days, but on the streets of Washington, D.C., today at least a dozen supporters showed up to give the Republican presidential candidate and real estate mogul a boost.
As Trump doubles down on his controversial comments about Mexican immigrants that have reverberated on the campaign trail over the past week, the sidewalk outside the construction site of the Trump Hotel in the nation’s capital became yet another stage in the ongoing debate about the polarizing billionaire.
“He’s a nice person,” said Clyde Dyce, who described himself as a former employee of one of Trump’s business ventures. “He’s not a racist. He was nice to me and my family.”
Super PAC Emerges With Donald Trump's 'Make America Great Again' Slogan Donald Trump Deletes Tweet About Jeb Bush's Wife The Companies That Have Dumped Donald TrumpDyce, along with some of his pro-Trump counterparts, were holding homemade signs with messages like “We Love Trump” and “Trump 2016.”
Meanwhile, pro-Trump protesters have gathered across the street from the site of the future Trump Hotel @ABCPolitics pic.twitter.com/0HtDwIDu5M
— Jill Ornitz (@Jill_Ornitz) July 9, 2015
But they were clearly outnumbered by a much larger contingent of Trump detractors who organized a protest meant to call Trump out on his comments about Mexicans. Some even urged a halt to construction of the $200 million hotel project.
“It’s enough. It’s enough with the racial slurs, the stereotyping of Latinos,” said Roy Molina, a self-identified Republican who protested outside the hotel. “I’m ashamed, right now, of the Republican Party.”
During his presidential announcement speech, Trump said, “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best,” adding that immigrants are “bringing drugs” and are “rapists.”
Since Trump declared his run for president, he has been dropped by several of the television programs and companies that made him a household name, including NBC’s “The Apprentice,” the Miss Universe Pageant, Macy’s and Serta.
“I imagine when I go back to school next semester, it’s going to be a dirty word to say Donald Trump’s name,” said another protester, Michael Wang, a student at American University.
"Hey hey/ho ho/@realDonaldTrump has got to go" #Trumpprotestdc pic.twitter.com/e3At1WpUoS
— Summer J. Fields (@summerjfields) July 9, 2015