Front Royal is a town in Warren County, Virginia. In the last US presidential election, as many as 68 percent of voters in this town voted for Donald Trump, recalls the German public media ARD.
At 10 a.m., there are still enough free tables in the fast food restaurant "Our Hometown Diner". However, two of the regulars of the establishment have already taken their seats - Raymond and his friend Stan. The two have been regularly discussing the demonstrations in Los Angeles recently, as well as Trump's decision to send in the National Guard and elite U.S. Marines - against the wishes of the Democratic governor of California.
Rayman believes that this was the right thing to do. According to him, the situation got out of control and if Trump had not acted in this way, many people would probably have died.
Trump - "the best thing that could have happened to us"
Rayman does not believe that most of the demonstrators were peaceful, as the authorities in California claim. Rather, they were instigated, and the unrest was planned long before that, he is convinced. "There are people who are paid to go out on the streets and influence other people. You can't produce posters that quickly. The rocks they throw are simply not available on every corner. Someone must have supplied them," Raymon thinks out loud.
Don Tweedy and John Lambert also think so. The two men, both over 80, are also regulars at "Our Hometown Diner". John praises Republican Trump and slanders his predecessor. "Joe Biden should be tried for treason because he let millions of illegals, criminals and terrorists into the country. They are causing us major problems, including financial ones. And God bless Trump."
Don agrees and adds of Trump that "he is the best thing that could have happened to us. Our left-wing justice system gives illegal immigrants all our rights, and we work and pay taxes our whole lives." As for the taxpayers' money for the deployment of the Marines in Los Angeles - more than $130 million according to the US Department of Defense - the elderly men consider it a good investment, the ARD report goes on to say.
"It's better not to talk about politics"
Sadie Price simply shakes her head when she hears such a thing. She works as a waitress at the restaurant, is a supporter of the Democratic Party and does not share the political views of most of her customers. "I don't want to argue with the guests or my bosses. I really like it here, but we have very different political views on things. That's why it's better not to talk about it," she tells the ARD reporter.
Jane and Brenda Brash have come to drink coffee. Jane says her two brothers vote Republican and there have been frequent arguments - most recently over the protests in Los Angeles. "Trump has no right to send in the National Guard", Jane says firmly. "We have the right to demonstrate, this country was founded on protest. And it was a peaceful protest." According to her, Trump sent in the military only to demonstrate his strength. "And to make himself look better", she adds.
"Yes" to demonstrations, but not like this
Jerry McGee and David Klanigan sit across the table. They are both preachers. David says he prays every day for his country and its political leadership. Jerry wears a T-shirt that says "Jesus is my savior, Trump is my president".
"Demonstrating is a fundamental right - but not like this," he says. According to him, a very small percentage of people participate in such things. "They burned the American flag, they spat on it. They desecrated the flag that people died for," Jerry claims.
There are also pragmatists
Nathan Simpson works as a temporary employee in the restaurant's kitchen and is learning German using a mobile app. The 16-year-old student takes a pragmatic view of what is currently happening in Los Angeles: "I think the president should accept the will of the people. If people in California want to demonstrate and they want to do it peacefully..."
Of course, if there is violence, that's a different matter. "But I feel like California can handle this on its own," says Nathan. When asked by the ARD reporter who he would have voted for if he had been of voting age last November, the student struggled to give a clear answer: "It was one of those situations where you have to choose between the lesser of two evils," he says. And yet Nathan probably would have voted for Trump, he admits to ARD.
Author: Wolfgang Landmesser (ARD)