About 1500 people turned out to see Donald Trump at Plymouth State University this weekend during one of his final campaign stops before the Primary. NHPR's Sean Hurley was there and sends us this.
Donald Trump didn't venture far from familiar talking points. China, Vets, Common Core, bomb the oil - the wall...the fact that he's the only candidate funding his own campaign. "I have no friends as far as I'm concerned," Trump told the mostly standing crowd. "You know who's my friends? You're my friends..."
He then went after his rivals, "Did Marco do well last night in the debate? Did Ted do well in the debate?" Trump asked. "No!" the crowd replied in turn.
In Iowa, Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz proved to be his closest rivals. And so, days before our Primary, despite his continued lead in the polls, Trump regularly circled back to the real reason for his visit. "You know," Trump said, "a lot of these politicians say it's not important who you vote for but you have to go through the process. I feel differently. If you're not gonna vote for me, do not vote! Ok?"
After the event, 18 year old PSU Freshmen friends Amber Wong and Isabel Ellsasser said they enjoyed the speech, and even got Trump's autograph - but neither will be voting for him. "He tells the people what they want to hear. And it's almost like a good thing? I don't know," Wong wondered to which her friend Ellaser added, "He appeals to his audience is what he does. Like he could be putting on a show right now. Like I feel like I was watching a show. He was saying what people want to hear and that's a problem."
But Cody Carrier from Whitefield, a Trump supporter from the start, says he liked what he heard, "He just comes out and says what he wants and just says what's on his mind. He's very straightforward."
Straight shooter and showman - a combination that's been working for Donald Trump so far. We’ll find out how that goes over with New Hampshire voters on Tuesday.