What it’s like being the only Trump supporter in the Ivy League

Making friends at college can be tough, especially when you feel like you can’t be entirely open about who you’re supporting in the upcoming election. With Super Tuesday on the horizon, we spoke to a Trump supporter in the Ivy League.

Meet Joe, a sophomore at Brown, majoring in Chemistry. We chatted to him about why he’s voting for Trump and the reaction he gets on campus.

Joe Capani

Why are you voting for Trump?

I think that out of all of the candidates in the election, he’s the only one with a real vision. He’s a patriot and he has a plan for this country that will be successful.

What would you say to people who say he’s promoting a racist rhetoric?

I think that the media can blow a lot of things he says out of proportion. He has a very bombastic and aggressive approach to politics but at his core if you look at his policies, he has very reasonable policies that aren’t racist at all.

Do you think that some of his views could be construed as a little bit racist, something like surveillance in mosques or building a wall between Mexico?

I don’t think so, the wall is a response is an illegal immigration crisis we have, not a Mexican crisis, the issue is illegal immigration, it’s not a racial issue at all. The thing with mosques and Muslim immigrants is a national security issue as a response to the issues in Syria and Libya right now.

What’s the general reaction when you tell people you support Trump?

People think I’m joking at first. They do. Then people sometimes will get angry and will attack that viewpoint. Other people are interested and will ask “why?” They can’t really believe that it’s true, that’s generally the reaction I get.

Do people ever shame you here at Brown?

I feel like generally people would try to shame Trump supporters. I personally don’t feel any shame about it. I’m entitled to my political opinions.

Do you hide the fact you’re a Trump supporter?

I wouldn’t try to hide it, I just don’t broadcast it. It’s just not a conversation I enter often because it’s not a conversation I try to start.

You don’t try to start it because you don’t want to have it?

Yeah, I’d say that. People can get hostile and they can get angry and I just don’t want to deal with that kind of an argument.

Great, is there anything else you want to say?

Yeah, just one last thing. I think that in general patriotism has become a negative word. Nationalism and patriotism have been looked down upon and I think that’s wrong. Being a patriot and having a patriotic candidate is good for this country and will lead to a better president and better country.

Do you think that Bernie and Hillary aren’t as patriotic?

I think so, I never hear them say “I love America” or “America is the greatest country” but you hear Donald Trump come out here and make America great again he has a solid message that he really wants to help this country. He has a vested interest in that, his real estate industries are directly tied to this country’s economy. So if we go down, he goes down.

So you think the real message is that he’s the only one who wants to improve America?

Yeah I think that’s true. I think Bernie and Hillary are promoting a more global-centric approach to American politics instead of strengthening our nation in a domestic sense, strengthening our relationship with other countries which could be good. Once we have a strong America, it makes for a stronger world. I think that a strong America makes for a safer and more prosperous world.