The Atlanta Journal-Constitution published a six-part series leading up to Donald Trump’s inauguration called “The Making of a Trump Voter,” in which our reporters and photographers traveled the state, meeting and talking to the folks who sent Donald Trump to the White House.
We profiled six people in depth on MyAJC.com. Periodically, we will return to those voters to get their thoughts about how the Trump administration is performing.
Nany Gallegos, 55, Gainesville. Immigrant who became a U.S. citizen two years ago. Officer manager.
Question: What are you overall perceptions of the first couple months?
Answer: "So far, so good. My first impression is he is getting to a new job and he needs to analyze every point and we cannot expect him to solve every problem in one or two months. No, it is a lot of work. So far, I see him working very hard to keep some progress. Unfortunately, he has too many people around him sabotaging him. The fake news and bad information is not fair. That is not a position we should adopt. We need to take a position of waiting and seeing, of being patient. People don't understand that. People need to give him a chance, and not expecting him to do everything right away.
Question: What have you seen that has reinforced your decision to vote for him?
Answer: I totally agree with him with the way he is taking the immigration issues and totally agree with how he is taking on the health care issues, and I think we are on a good path.
We need to defend our country. Unfortunately, sometimes you have people (impacted) in that immigration bans who have a green card or citizenship and you have mistakes, but they clear up those mistakes. We have too many enemies inside the United States. We cannot allow anymore coming in here.”
Credit: Curtis Compton
Credit: Curtis Compton
Ronny West, 61, Kennesaw. Church maintenance and repair worker.
Question: What are your overall perceptions of the first couple months?
Answer: "I like what I've seen so far. All his cabinet picks have been good. Because he's Republican, the Democrats are going to oppose everything he does, even the best laid plans.
Question: What have you seen that has reinforced your decision to vote for him?
Answer: One of the first things is getting rid of Obamacare. And he's working on that. The bill is not completed. They're just working on it. Let's wait and see the final product, and then make a judgment.
He’s on a learning curve, too. He’s dealing with people, and people are politics, and politics are people. I think he’s doing fine. He’s trying to fulfill the promises he made out on the campaign trail. It may not be getting accomplished as fast as we like.
Question: Have you gotten what you’ve expected?
Answer: He made a good pick on the Supreme Court. He's honored that. He's certainly getting the ball down the field."
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Janelle Jones, 32, managing partner of a local construction company.
Question: Do you like what you’ve seen so far?
Answer: I see someone who is about taking action, someone who understands that in the past we have been all about saying what we want to do but not actually doing it, or taking an extremely long time to produce the results that we seek. Yes there are kinks that need to be worked out in some of the decisions that have been made, however, we would never have seen these kinks had we not made a move and took action so this is a product of work being done and not discussion only.
Question: Have you seen anything that shakes your confidence?
Answer: Absolutely not. If anything, my confidence is a bit shaken in the state of humanity. I have seen so many contradictions, I have seen bullying like never before, and I have seen very ugly dispositions and discussions from people who are supposed to look out for our best interest. So my confidence in humanity is not an all-time high right now but my confidence and president Trump Remains the same as it did when I walked into the voting booth.
Question: Are you still enthusiastic as I you were before?
Answer: I am quite enthusiastic and hopeful that we are going to see the change that we are looking for. One thing I know for sure is that change comes with time and time is one thing that our president does not like to waste, so I'm pretty confident that we're going to see major results in the short period of time that he has an office. There's a lot that can be done in eight years. I look forward to seeing what happens.
Credit: Hyosub Shin
Credit: Hyosub Shin
Lance Toland, 62, of Milner and Brunswick, an aviation insurance company owner and early Trump supporter:
Question: How would you grade the president?
Answer: I'd give him an A-plus. He is he is truly delivering on his campaign promises.
Question: What about President Trump’s travel bans?
Answer: There was an overreaction to certain comments that were made. I've discussed this with a lot of foreign nationals. They are absolutely in a tizzy over it. At the end of the day we have a president who has restored our borders, and is ensuring our safety.
Question: Do you support budget cuts that would eliminate the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the National Endowment for the Arts?
Answer: I support the arts, the Atlanta art community, the symphony, and I think that's the way those programs should work. Let the public support the arts, not the government.
Question: Are you in favor of a 10 percent boost in military spending?
Answer: I think it should be 20.
Question: Are you concerned about Russian interference with the election?
Answer: It would bother me, it would bother anybody if they actually had any influence on the election. What influence has been revealed? None. Did the Russians influence my decision? No. Did it preclude anyone from voting? No.
Daniel T. Lentz, 28, Atlanta. Director of corporate relations for a local trade association.
Question: What are your overall perceptions of the first couple months?
Answer: "President Trump is an unbridled statesman and has accomplished more in a few months than others achieve in a year. He is out front. This is what an executive looks like. He is driving us forward toward a new period of roaring Americanism."
Question: What have you seen that has reinforced your decision to vote for him?
Answer: "President Trump is simply and purely good ol' American. No matter whether on the stump or the bully pulpit, he remains unashamedly patriotic and unapologetically bold. As he vowed, 'the era of empty talk is over' and 'you will never be ignored again.' The swamp is draining, the wall is coming and this is just the beginning."
Question: Has anything shaken your confidence in him?
Answer: "I'm not easily shaken. The man has guts."
Question: Have you gotten what you’ve expected?
“He is holding true to his promises and standing in the gap for American interests. Political correctness and globalism are out in the cold. He is putting our citizenry first.”
Other articles in the "Making of a Trump voter" series:
- Part I: The African-American woman
- Part II: The South Georgia farmer
- Part III: The Atlanta tech worker
- Part IV: The working-class suburbanite
- Part V: The Latina immigrant
- Part VI: The millionaire businessman
LATEST INSTALLMENT OF AN AJC SPECIAL SERIES
Donald Trump’s election may have shocked the nation, but it was no surprise in Georgia. After the votes were counted, the AJC dispatched journalists from the capital to the coast, to the agricultural south and to the mountainous north. Their mission: to meet the people who created the Trump groundswell. The AJC profiled those voters and will continue to check in with them about how they think the president is performing.
