For Iowa college students, the chance to vote in the 2016 Iowa caucuses, perhaps their first caucus experience, is an opportunity few want to miss.
The Donald Trump political rally Saturday night drew a mixed crowd of supporters, including undecided voters hoping to gain more perspective about Trump’s policies and students from across the country to Adler Theater in Davenport, Iowa.
Bethany Grunewald, a Scott Community College student from Bettendorf, Iowa, says she attended the rally for two reasons.
“I just kind of wanted to see Trump, and also he’s a Republican candidate and I wanted to hear what his policies were,” Grunewald says.
Of the many policy issues Trump has expressed an opinion about, Grunewald says the most important issue in her opinion is the economy. She says she was interested in hearing Trump’s plan to get the economy back up, because she says she thinks the economy is not in a good place right now.
For undecided voters such as Grunewald, Trump is appealing because he has a reputation for sticking to his beliefs and not compromising, even when she believes his comments seem to come off too strong.
Grunewald says she wants someone who is strong and won’t back down.
“I do not disagree with what he’s saying at the moment in time,” Grunewald says. “I think his opinions are a little strong … but his ideas aren’t that bad.”
Grunewald says it’s important for college students to know what the candidates are planning in the future for the United States. For now, Grunewald says her first choice for the Republican nomination is Sen. Ted Cruz, but she says she’s still looking at Carly Fiorina and Trump.
Joe Repischah, a Pittsburgh resident currently studying at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, says he has been a Trump supporter since June.
“I just want to be involved in this movement Trump’s involved in,” Repischah says. “Trump’s a great leader … and that’s just something we don’t have right now.”
Repischah says he agrees with Trump on major issues. One of the most important issues for Repischah is the debate on immigration policies.
Repischah says Trump has started a conversation Repischah thinks is important for people to talk about. He says without Trump, the country wouldn’t even be discussing immigration policies.
“People are just starting to talk about [immigration] only because Donald brought it up,” Repischah says. “I think his policies [about Syrian refugees] are fair.”
Repischah says his only criticism about Trump is the businessman’s history of changing his views on issues. Repischah says he specifically disagrees with how Trump originally said abortion was wrong but then switched to support choice.
Repischah says he thinks Trump will be a good president because he is a proven business leader. Repischah says he also thinks Trump knows how to get deals done.
Repischah says he is surprised and pleased with the turnout of the rally.
“The fact that he came out and started getting all this support — it makes me so happy because people are starting to realize that this guy’s trying to make America great again,” Repischah says.
Repischah says it is especially important for college students to be involved in the political process because as students preparing to enter the job market, who the president of the United States is has a significant impact on the country’s future.