Birmingham-Area Republicans Gather for Trump Reelection Watch Party
A few dozen Birmingham-area Republicans ate ribs and pulled pork sandwiches at Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q in Homewood as they watched President Trump launch his 2020 reelection campaign. Trump spoke at a rally in Orlando for more than an hour, touting his accomplishments on issues ranging from immigration to the economy.
Several at the watch party say they plan to support the president regardless of which other Republican candidates challenge him in the primary. Springville’s Terri Lapoint is among them. She says she doesn’t need to wait and consider other contenders.”No, I’m a Trump girl. I really, I’m committed to supporting him.”
Lapoint says Trump wasn’t her first choice in 2016. She supported Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. But over the last few years, she says, Trump won her over. “What I’ve seen since then, I really do like.” She says he’s fulfilled his early campaign promises. She particularly liked it when the president during his speech attacked Democrats as being “socialists” for supporting left-leaning policies on issues ranging from health care to immigration.
Deanna Frankowski of Leeds came dressed in a “Make America Great Again t-shirt. When Trump told the audience his new campaign slogan would be “Keep America Great,” she lamented having to buy a new shirt. Frankowski says she’s been pleased with Trump’s record as president. “I think that he was on point. He went back over everything that he’s done and pled his case to be president again,” she says. Frankowski supported Trump early on in 2016. She says the other candidates then were part of the Washington establishment and hadn’t accomplished much. “That’s why I voted for him, because I was tired of all the mouthing and the talking and the not-getting-anything done,” she says. “I said I was ready to give him a chance and he’s done fantastic.”
Those at the watch party cheered for Trump through much of his speech, including his criticism of Hillary Clinton, his Democratic opponent in 2016, and his attacks on this election’s Democratic challengers. They also booed local media when Trump egged on his supporters in Orlando to do the same. A few Alabama lawmakers were in attendance, including Sen. Dan Roberts and Rep. Matt Fridy. Last night’s gathering was organized by the Alabama GOP, along with the Jefferson and Shelby county Republican parties. The watch party was one of several around the state.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include the name of the restaurant.
Alabama Black Belt’s sewer crisis a tougher fix for residents in manufactured homes
Poor sanitation has long plagued residents in Alabama’s Black Belt. For people with manufactured houses, finding a solution has been more challenging.
In Birmingham, Black men’s groups work to save young men from the cycle of gun violence
As the city inches closer to its homicide record, community members are trying to address a sense of fatalism and lack of opportunity felt by some young men.
Former Brazilian president indicted over alleged coup plot
Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro and several others have been charged with attempting to overthrow incoming government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2022.
How do you solve a crime at a retirement home? Get ‘A Man on the Inside’
Michael Schur wrote for the The Office and created The Good Place. His new show for Netflix features Ted Danson as a widowed retiree who goes undercover in a retirement community.
SEC Chair Gary Gensler, who took aim at crypto industry, to step down in January
Gensler said he would step down on Jan. 20, when Donald Trump will inaugurated as the next president. Gensler took big enforcement actions against the crypto industry.
Russia launched an experimental ballistic missile at Ukraine, the U.S. says
Ukraine raised alarm suggesting Russia may have used an intercontinental ballistic missile to hit the city of Dnipro, but the U.S. National Security Council does not believe it was an ICBM.
