These are the young people voting for Donald Trump

As an idealistic 20 year-old attending UConn, it is not often that I come across die-hard conservatives within my peer group.

The extent of my exposure to conservative political commentary is limited to Fox News and The Drudge Report, two sources that I find entertaining, but also bombastic and alarmist.

So how can I even begin to understand a Trump supporter? By talking to them. Here are four young Trump supporters explaining why they love the Donald.

Full disclosure: I am an ardent supporter of Bernie Sanders. Also, I messaged many Trump supporters of different races, ages, and genders- but the following people were the only ones who responded in full.

Michael Grischuk, 19, Marketing major from Trumbull, CT

When did Donald Trump become the candidate you decided to support?

I was with Mr Trump since day one. His announcement speech hooked me, and the more I read about him the more I knew he was my guy.

What trait of Trump do you admire most?

Mr Trump’s candor is deeply appealing to me. No other politician has ever been so willing to speak their mind so openly as he – you get a real sense of who he truly is. His speeches aren’t teleprompted, he writes his own tweets, and he’s written enough books to provide a surprisingly nuanced insight into his personality. Everyone else is just a carefully-constructed character designed to appeal – Mr Trump is who he is, like it or not.

What policy idea of his do you support/feel inspired by?

His stance on healthcare is one of my favorites of his. It’s so common-sense that I’m amazed it isn’t already in effect – encouraging competition between providers by opening the market and demanding pricing transparency would do wonders in improving the quality and cost of care for the average American.

Any policies that you disagree with?

I don’t know where I stand on his position on haircutting our debt, but I need to do more reading on it. I’m sure he’ll hand the issue off to the best person for the job anyway.

Was he your first choice?

Mr Trump was absolutely my first choice. I never considered anybody else.

Pete Kosakowski, 24, accountant from Stamford, CT

When did Donald Trump become the candidate you decided to support?

I’ve been a registered Republican since 18, though I’ve never voted. When I first heard a reality TV star was entering the race I thought that US politics had become this complete joke. Upon actually looking at his policies and listening to him talk I found myself agreeing with him on key issues.

What trait of Trump do you admire most?

He speaks plainly and bluntly, since he is a multibillionaire he is free to say whatever he wants with virtually no consequence. It’s refreshing and it’s honest. It’s not possible from a career politician.

What policy idea of his do you support/feel inspired by?

I think that the border reform could be a really good thing for Mexico in the long run, if Mexican illegal immigrants are no longer permitted into the US through conventional means then Mexico can finally have a social upheaval to drive out corruption, and making cartel operations more difficult which will relax their stranglehold on the Mexican government.

Any policies that you disagree with?

I don’t agree with his stance on abortion, I think abortion is a good thing, less unwanted kids means less crime. Also his foreign policy is too “boots on the ground”, I don’t want to pay for another war. I’d rather have them crack down on the heroin trade and fight cybercrime, because cryptolocker viruses are directly funding terrorist sects.

Was he your first choice?

My first choice was no one, I wasn’t going to vote, but after looking into it: #MAKEAMERICAGREATAGAIN

Willis George Ballard V, 19, pizza maker from Bethel, CT

When did Donald Trump become the candidate you decided to support?

Donald Trump became the candidate I supported when he first started going on the offensive against Hillary Clinton. Someone needs to be up front about taking on that criminal and exposing her for what she really is.

What trait of Trump do you admire most?

I’d have to say his trait I admire most is the sheer intelligence he has that has allowed him to make decisions that have led to him being one of the most world-renowned businessmen.

What policy idea of his do you support/feel inspired by?

I am honestly inspired by his idea to wall off our border with Mexico, and make them pay for it because of all of the jobs that it will create for American stone masons and people who have lost their jobs to illegal immigrants.

Any policies that you disagree with?

I disagree with his policies on censorship of the media, women’s rights, and Muslims.

Was he your first choice?

Not only was Trump my first choice, but I believe that the entire time he’s really been the only choice.

Andrew Ranger Kielack, 18, Animal Science and Management, UC Davis

When did Donald Trump become the candidate you decided to support?

I started supporting Trump a few months ago when Marco Rubio dropped out of the GOP race.

What trait of Trump do you admire most?

I suppose I admire his “I don’t care what you think” attitude. He says what’s on his mind. Also the way he can get into other candidates heads, which happened constantly during the GOP debates.

What policy idea of his do you support/feel inspired by?

I love his views on immigration. He doesn’t want to cut off all immigration, just illegal immigration. I’m the son of immigrants, Polish and Mexican.

Any policies that you disagree with?

I don’t really agree with his views on global warming.

Was he your first choice?

He was not my first choice, I supported Marco Rubio up until he dropped out. The democratic candidates aren’t even an option in my mind.

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So, what have I learned? Trump supporters seem to value his honesty and authenticity, as well as his outsider status. Most of them are in favor of his immigration reform policies (see: Wall Off Mexico) in addition to his plans to free-marketize the healthcare industry.

They disagree with his stance of global warming and media censorship, and they even agree that his anti-Muslim and anti-woman rhetoric is unwarranted *sigh of relief*. For most of them, Trump was their first and only choice for 2016, which makes you wonder what was wrong with the other fifteen possible nominees?

Most importantly, I’ve learned that not all conservatives are aligned with the more fundamentalist wings of the GOP, and that gives me hope.