Locals react to Donald Trump being presumptive Republican nominee

Living a life with a passion for politics, there’s a good chance you’ll find longtime Republican delegate Don Genhart wearing red, white and blue from head to toe.

“I started Republican politics with Eisenhower. I was a teenage Republican, walking precincts and giving out literature for him,” Genhart said. “I’ve gone to four national conventions as a delegate. 1968 in Miami for Richard Nixon, 1996 in San Diego for Bob Dole, 2008 for John McCain, and 2012 for [Mitt] Romney.”

With Ted Cruz and John Kasich dropping out of the race to the White House, Donald Trump is now the presumptive nominee for the GOP heading into the convention this summer.

With the 2016 Republican Convention approaching, Genhart said he’s excited to hopefully attend this year.

Genhart said of all the 17 Republican presidential hopefuls, Trump has been the candidate he’s backed since the beginning.

“Here’s a man that’s center stage for all the debates. That should’ve told you something right there that he stood out and was a prominent figure,” Genhart said. “I just feel that he’s the one that really can accomplish so much.”

But other residents remain divided over whether they could see Trump be elected this November.

“I like his business policies. I’m not sure about his foreign policies, but I do believe that he will get an entourage around him that will make him look good,” Kathi Rocovitz said.

“I would think that would be a plus for Hillary (Clinton), because I think Hillary would embarass Trump,” Gordon Erickson said. “I’ve underestimated Trump all along so I’ll be careful about that.”

As for potential Vice President choices for Trump, Genhart said some of the names he’s heard mentioned include New Mexico Governor Susanna Martinez and Florida Senator Marco Rubio.

With Ted Cruz and John Kasich dropping out of the race to the White House, Donald Trump is now the presumptive nominee for the GOP heading into the convention this summer.

Poll: Do you support Donald Trump as the Republican presidential nominee?