A Wallaceburg councillor feels Donald Trump motivated America’s voters more than his competitor, en-route to winning the U.S. presidency.
“Trump did say some very regrettable things, but the secret to his win was he tapped into the anger and despair that everyday taxpayers feel about government in general,” Wallaceburg Coun. Jeff Wesley told the Sydenham Current.
“He was assisted by a democratic candidate (Hillary Clinton) who was as disliked as he was and who was seen as a ‘Washington insider’. The difference was that Trump’s supporters showed up and voted, they were motivated to, and Hillary’s did not, they were not motivated to do so by her.”
Wesley said when he and his wife Michelle vacationed in southern Florida and New Orleans during the primaries, the support for Trump was strong.
“We spoke to a lot of people… he was seen as the anti-establishment, anti-government candidate from people who were simply fed up with government and corruption. Actual policies mattered very little. A very strong motivator to get out and vote. In the end, Hillary was disliked enough that a lot of her core supporters did not show up at the polls like they did for Obama.”
Wesley said he is not afraid to have Trump at the helm.
“I do not fear Trump because of the controls in place that limit the powers of the President, but I expect the next four years will be entertaining and an interesting study in politics.”
In a close battle with Clinton, Trump captured (unofficially) 289 electoral votes across the country, while the Democratic candidate won only 218.
The winner needed to gather 270 electoral votes to be declared the winner.
Watch for more coverage and reaction on the Sydenham Current.
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– Photo credit: Ali Shaker/VOA
