Donald Trump’s divisive, captivating and historic campaign is nearing its end. On Tuesday night, we’ll know whether he will be the 45th president of the United States of America.
The Huffington Post recently sent its new video host, Wajahat Ali, to Bangor, Maine, for one of Trump’s many rallies in the state. Ali ― who in a 93-percent white town quipped that he was the “darkest thing in the neighborhood” ― asked Trump supporters why they were standing by him, even after his campaign has been rocked by scandal after scandal.
“What about the ‘Access Hollywood’ video?” Ali asks one Trump supporter, referring to the recently surfaced 2005 tape of Trump bragging about grabbing women “by the pussy.”
“I don’t watch ‘Access’ ― why would I watch ‘Access Hollywood’? C’mon think about that for just a minute,” a man responds.
“You saw the [sexual assault] allegations, you heard the women, you’ve heard the tape, you’ve seen what he’s tweeted ― how can you... as a young, intelligent woman, still be for this guy Trump?” Ali asks another supporter.
“From a personal point of view, I was raped when I was 19,” she responds. “Sexual assault is big to me. [Trump’s] words didn’t hurt anybody.”
“Is there anything that motivates you towards [Hillary Clinton] just as a woman? That she might be the first female president,” Ali asks the same woman.
“As a woman, no, because she’s not a good example of a woman because she’s against Christians, she’s against Jews, she’s against law enforcement...”
“She’s for Muslims,” Ali, who happens to be Muslim, interrupts.
“This is true. This is true,” the woman says. “They’re their best friends but that’s okay.”
“Everybody can change,” says a man in a Make America Great Again hat with a Blue Lives Matter pin on his jacket. “I believe in forgiveness.”
“Can you ever forgive Hillary Clinton?” Ali asks.
“No.”
This deep distrust of Clinton was a big part of Trump’s support in Bangor, one of the most populous cities in Maine’s second congressional district. In the long-shot scenario where Trump wins every swing state except Virginia, Pennsylvania and Colorado, a win in Maine’s second congressional district could put the GOP nominee over the 270 electoral votes he needs to win the White House.
“Some folks are saying they’re going to lead an anti-Hillary militia if she wins precisely because they think she’s going to take the country down the wrong path. What’s your response to that?” Ali asks another Trump supporter.
“I believe it to be right,” a woman responds.
“If Clinton wins, it’s a close race, what do you think is going to happen to America?” Ali asks.
“I think it’s going to follow the same pattern, and eventually end up leading to war,” she responds.
“Internal war or external?”
“I’d say both,” the woman says.
This video was hosted by Wajahat Ali and produced by Gabe Piscione. It was edited by Zack Chapman and shot by Kenn Gonneville and Heeth Grantham.
Editor’s note: Donald Trump regularly incites political violence and is a serial liar, rampant xenophobe, racist, misogynist and birther who has repeatedly pledged to ban all Muslims — 1.6 billion members of an entire religion — from entering the U.S.