June 10, 2018

“My personal motivation for running for mayor was to create an environment where both my kids who live elsewhere will want to move back. They’re both in high tech jobs, and if the jobs were here, they’d move back.”

June 7, 2018

"Listen, Erie is a jewel. It really is. There’s so much opportunity, so much potential. But we have to be willing to embrace the challenges until the changes manifest. Three of my sisters left Erie, they left. I could have left but I refused to." 

June 5, 2018

"I’ll say this, every time I suffered a layoff in my working career there was a Democratic president. Bill Clinton, Obama. And what really ticked me off about Obama was that he basically said, ‘I’m going to bring the coal industry to its knees.’ And a large majority of the locomotives built at GE are BNSF locomotives. And that’s mostly what they haul is coal. So when the coal industry dies, the locomotive manufacturing business takes a nosedive.”

June 2, 2018

Iraqi-American photographer Maitham Basha-Agha standing in front of some of the portraits in his collection called, “Rust Belt New Americans: A Showcase of Erie’s Refugee Population,” displayed at Ember and Forge, a coffee shop in Erie, Pennsylvania.

June 1, 2018

"Erie didn’t have a massive heart attack like Pittsburgh. What we had was chronic bronchitis. To cure yourself of the chronic bronchitis you have to stop things. You have to stop smoking and exercise more and eat better and make better mental health decisions. All that stuff is happening in Erie right now."

May 25, 2018

“Everyone deserves someplace to die with dignity."

May 23, 2018

“For many the hardest thing is not the actual dying but the regret,” says Matilda Lindgren (right). “It’s amazing how many people develop a passion for our work,” adds Kim Correa

May 20, 2018

“I don’t want my name on any bridges or buildings. I’m just a plain old guy. I come from dirt.”

May 13, 2018

Question: Is there anything Trump has done that you like?

“Trump has done a hell of a job making my job easier in terms of getting people involved. He’s everything that I stand against. That sounds hyperbolic, but he is an entitled child that thrives on the anger and fear of millions of gullible Americans.”

May 4, 2018

“I told you last time I ran that Donald Trump was going to win, and you called me ‘stupid.’ Well you’re stupid!”

May 2, 2018

“When I see the way Mia Love follows orders from Paul Ryan, it’s like she’s a robot. And trust me, as a robotics engineer, I know a robot when I see one.”

April 30, 2018

“Like Mitt, I served as a missionary in France and am a High Priest in the LDS church. I’m 6’1” and have a great head of hair with just the right amount of grey.”

April 16, 2018

How does it feel to become U.S. citizens?

Jasmine: “For me, your country is not where you’re born. It’s where you feel home, safe, welcomed, accepted, equal and protected by the law."

Ali: "My loyalty toward the U.S. didn’t change since day one and will never change. So saying the oath just confirmed that loyalty."

April 5, 2018

“We are not ‘Bikers Who Think We Know Best.' We are ‘Bikers for Trump.’ He has to point the direction. He’s the compass. We don’t ever get ahead of him.”

April 1, 2018

“When I come here, people was really open with me. I had really nice people. I had really nice friends. Everyone here is so friendly.”

March 29, 2018

A constituent's question: “Are you going to sort them out in Washington?”

Rep. Robert Pittenger: “We already did!"

March 22, 2018

“I see a lack of empathy on both sides. The same people who are offended by Civil War monuments cannot understand why taking a knee [during the national anthem at football games to protest racial inequality] offends me for something I hold sacred.”

March 20, 2018

"To see someone elected to the highest office in the land who is the antithesis of [Mormon] values, it was the breaking point."

March 19, 2018

Question: Being half Mexican, how did you feel when Donald Trump called most illegal immigrants from Mexico rapists and drug dealers?

Jim McCuen of Volusia County, Florida: “I nodded my head in agreement because I have actual experience with it. I lived in Mexico. I lived in Costa Rica, where you can’t leave your car unlocked, they’ll steal the paint off of it….People have no idea what it’s like to live in a country where petty crime is a fixture of daily life. They have no idea."

March 17, 2018

Question: What did you make of Hillary Clinton blaming her presidential election loss in part on married, white women for not standing up to men who pressured then to vote for Trump?

Sandy Chilson: "It was insulting, and clearly displays her lack of connection with real people..”

Chris Chilson: “Women can think for themselves.”

March 14, 2018

“I think he’s doing awesome. Remember that song by Stephen Stills, ‘If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with’? The ones that don’t like [Trump], they should take that song to heart, because he’s doing a great job.”

March 13, 2018

Question: Describe Trump's presidency in one word:

Tiffany Powers: "Train wreck."

"I will say, not that it’s necessarily his doing, but people were so enthusiastic about Trump being in the White House that Smart 529 college savings plans became more prevalent. I set one up for my daughter and my son. So, thank you, Mr. President!”

March 12, 2018

“I know people are open to my candidacy because they voted for Trump."

March 9, 2018

“The tensions with North Korea had me very concerned, because my son is 18 and in the Marine reserves. But the announcement last night [of a possible summit between the U.S. and North Korea] kind of eased my burden.I was concerned with Trump’s ‘Rocket Man’ comments. Is he inciting a war here? Now looking back, maybe he was doing the right thing.”

March 8, 2018

“We have not seen Trump’s support die down at all. But we’ve seen from Trump supporters anger at the media, who distort what he says and darken everything he does.”

March 7, 2018

“[Hispanic immigrants] will still come. They won’t care about border restrictions, including a wall. They’ll go over or under the wall, it won’t matter. They’ll still get here and I’ll help them no matter what the law is,” says Richard. "As long as they’re not criminals. We tell them to stay home,” Jackie said. Richard adds, “Right. As long as they’re not criminals.”

March 4, 2018

“If I would get sent back [to Mexico], the way of life is way different over there compared to here. It would be something to get used to, for sure.”

March 3, 2018

"I don’t know Honduras. I have nothing there. I have nothing more than my birth there. I love this country. I feel like I’m between a country that doesn’t want me and a country I don’t know.”

February 28, 2018

“Without the influx [of Hispanic immigrants], we would be cutting programs and staff, just like other districts. We would be cutting jobs left and right, so they’re definitely a plus for us and our economy. We have job openings in the community already. I can’t imagine what it’d be like without them here.”

February 27, 2018

“Orange County has changed demographically here in the last 20 years, both economically and ethnically. Also, the Trump campaign made a smart strategic decision to ignore California with respect to campaigning. So there was no effort at top of ticket to turn out the vote. It turned out to be a wise decision. But in California, it depressed the vote. In Orange County, we didn’t get great turnout.”

February 25, 2018

“It’s too soon to hate him,” Eddie Lopez he tells fellow Hispanics about President Trump.

February 22, 2018

“We’re usually begging people to run. But now we have an abundance of talent. If it was two years ago and any one of these individuals had raised their hands, we would have been absolutely delighted.”

February 19, 2018

“Personally speaking, I have no problem with who people vote for. What is unfortunately happening is if I begin to see you as my permanent enemy, or as a lesser human being, that is very unhealthy for civilization. One thing that bothers me a lot…every human being deserves equal respect and dignity. That should not be compromised or stripped away.”

February 17, 2018

"I’m a woman, and I voted for Trump. So the people who are in hell with me, I like. It’s such a double standard. People are so sick of politicians. The Clintons have done so much that they should be in jail for. To me, Hillary Clinton should be in jail. I voted for Trump because he wasn’t Hillary."

February 15, 2018

“If kids getting murdered didn’t change the conversation [on gun control], I don’t know what will."

February 13, 2018

“We used to call the one lone Democrat running in the county the ‘sacrificial lamb,’ because we wouldn’t get support from the state or national parties. Now, with the Trump effect, so many more women are running, more progressives in Orange County are running.”

February 7, 2018

Question: Are Mormons receptive to the Democratic message?

Crystal Young-Otterstrom, treasurer of the Utah Democratic Party and former head of LDS Dems: "Sadly, half our work is getting Democrats to be welcoming to Mormons. They don’t like Mormons, Mormon candidates or delegates. I get it. Many of them have had negative experiences with Mormons…. [but] Democrats really need to wise up to being more welcoming to faith voters.”

February 5, 2018

“I’m more and more becoming a big fan of Trump, because it’s all about the economy. It really is.”

February 4, 2018

"I don't agree with the [NFL] protests, but I signed up to die to defend the right for them to do it.”

February 2, 2018

"I have maintained in working with the [Utah] legislature that a lot of Mormons are Democrats, they just don’t know it yet, because with both groups there really is a sense of taking care of the least among us."

February 1, 2018

Question: Describe President Trump’s first year in office in one word.

Bill Hamilton: "Amazing."

January 30, 2018

Describe President Trump's first year in office in one word:

Patel: "Erratic."

January 27, 2018

Describe President Trump's first year in office in one word:

Walker: "Unpatriotic. In my view, persistent dishonesty from the nation's chief executive is unpatriotic, as is racist posturing and bullying."

January 26, 2018

"I voted for Trump partly in hopes that he could make bipartisanship possible again. That hasn't happened. Let’s hope that the next year brings about this realignment. But with the mid-terms ahead, we will likely see both sides remain polarized."

January 25, 2018

Describe President Trump's first year in office in one word:

Khalasawi: "Destruction. ...We respect this country, we love it. We pay our taxes. We voted for Trump because the things he said and he lied to us. I’m so embarrassed to say this but our president lied to us."

January 24, 2018

“We West Virginians have a low number of PhDs per capita, but our BS meters work flawlessly. Being unpolished, and unapologetic, despite the occasional compulsive tweets, are attributes that make [Trump] an effective ambassador for our nation. He's said what he intends to do and does it."

January 23, 2018

“President Trump does not embody America’s highest ideals. He invokes fear by his ignorance, tempestuousness, and lack of professionalism. He threatens democratic principles by attacking the free press, the judiciary, and the election process."

January 21, 2018

“Horrified,” “fear” and “dystopian.” These were some of the words five Mormon women in Salt Lake City used to describe President Trump's first year in office. Some are registered Republicans, and none struck me as hard-core liberals. But they all agreed that Trump’s main accomplishment has been to activate those who oppose him, including themselves.

January 20, 2018

Describe President Trump's first year in office in one word.

Tiffany Powers: "Horrible. [Trump] is dismantling Obama’s legacy to the detriment of this country.His Tax Reform is an affront to the American Dream and he has brought shame and ridicule to the office of President of the United States of America."

January 19, 2018

Describe President Trump’s first year in office in one word.

Alan Taylor: "'Finally.' After years of Republican leaders being run over by Democrats and the mainstream media, someone has 'finally' fought back. It has been a joy to watch him fight back. It has also been entertaining to watch his enemies lose their minds."

January 18, 2018

"At times, President Trump has been brilliant this year. And yet at times he has seemed petty, impulsive, and divisive. Our nation is ripping apart because of how many seem to hate Trump versus those who want to support him."

January 17, 2018

Describe President Trump's first year in office in one word.

Chris Danou: "Can you use 'shit-show' in your paper? If not, my next choice would be 'grotesque. I can't believe that so many people, people that I believed were fundamentally good, decent, Wisconsinites, people that I was proud to represent, voted for him."

January 16, 2018

"It's very traditional in all of Iraq's workplaces that each new employee should invite all the other employees in the department for lunch, and we should make it after getting our first paycheck. In the lunch all others employees will welcome the new person at the workplace and wish him or her good luck."

January 11, 2018

“Oh, my. ‘Shit hole countries’? I am concerned now. I’m a pendulum. There are days I sway in a positive direction [about Trump], then he tweets or says something stupid and my thought changes to negativity.”

January 9, 2018

“For me personally, I have great concerns. I think the president of the United States should be a moral man. That doesn’t always happen. I feel like if somebody will cheat on their wife, how can we trust them not to cheat us? If he were ever to say,'I’ve learned a lot, I’m sorry and I’ll never do it again...’ but he says he’s never repented. He’s never said he was sorry. I have a real problem with that.”

January 8, 2018

“What is a little bit different about Utah Republicanism is, even though it is quite conservative, it’s not a hard-edged conservatism. It’s always tempered with the importance of family, community, compassion, and giving people resources to solve their own problems. Republican Utahans don’t frame [their conservatism] in the same way Republicans in Texas might.”

January 6, 2018

"Evangelicals saw the Access Hollywood video as sabotage, and directed their anger at all things Hillary. Mormons saw it as proof of Donald Trump’s poor character."

January 2, 2018

“Five years ago I came from the desert (Baghdad, Iraq), where the temperature gets up to 150F and there is sometimes no power in your house to even turn a small fan on! Today I’ve been living in Erie, PA where snow is no joke. In my first year, 2012, I stood in front of the frozen Lake Erie, and the first words I said were, “This is heaven,” and I still feel the same. Snow is my joy, snowflakes are like summer breezes for me, snow brings the child inside of me!”

December 29, 2017

“When you’re engaging in misconduct, to then have the taxpayer bail you out for the misconduct, and then keep it all secret from the public, that is just totally unacceptable."

December 27, 2017

“We need to come away from ‘We are not them’ and come forward with big bold ideas. Can anyone sit down and say what the Democrats are for that’s new and different? What’s our tax plan? Do we have one? Regulations—who’s making the argument that they are good?”

December 23, 2017

“Look at the stock market,” she wrote. The stock market has reached record highs in recent months, and Trump hasn’t been shy about taking credit for it, writing that it is booming “because of me.”

December 22, 2017

“Trump inadvertently sparked a serious conversation about police brutality by insulting protesters. These things would not have happened had Clinton won."

December 21, 2017

“This is huge for my business,” said Ray Blum, owner of a Dairy Queen franchise in West Virginia, about the tax bill."

December 20, 2017

Pramit Patel, who owns a Best Western franchise in Robeson County, North Carolina likes the Republican tax bill but wishes Congress would have considered linking tax rates to an area’s relative wealth.

December 19, 2017

“Why anyone would oppose this bill is beyond me,” said Jack Brandenburg of Macomb County, Michigan.

December 18, 2017

“I've seen a lot of change. Positive change" since Donald Trump became president, said Susan Walker, a business owner in Robeson County, North Carolina.

December 17, 2017

"I don't think the president is a bad person inside himself," said Elizabeth Weight, who represents Utah's 31st district in the Utah House of Representatives. "But he doesn't have a clue about my neighborhood. And I don't think he cares."

December 13, 2017

“The best chance of recovery is for people to lean on God,” he said. “Almost all the people who have pulled themselves through have done so because of faith. We are never going to be able to arrest your way out of the problem, because there’s a never-ending supply of possible users.”

December 12, 2017

"I like the people, they welcome us, and I have never had a bad experience with anybody. A lot of people try to communicate with the Hispanic community. I know there’s a lot of Hispanics who are going to English classes, and they’re trying also to get better with English.”

December 11, 2017

“I think part of [Trump’s success in Howard County] was just people thought, things aren’t working, we’ve tried Republicans, we’ve tried Democrats, it hasn’t worked for us. Telling people that he’s going to make America great again, when it hasn’t seemed very great for you, that’s hopeful.”

December 9, 2017

“I want to see the money. Show me the money. Show me where you’re going to put the money in helping the United States with this horrible epidemic."

December 7, 2017

“Mr. President you are allowing haters to pull you down to their level. Mr. President please rise above this and focus on the job at hand, it is yours for four years.”

December 6, 2017

“I think he instilled in people a hope that people in cities were going to matter again, and they were going to be part of the policies going forward, especially the economic policies. That’s what people are betting on.”

December 1, 2017

“For the people who live [in Grant County], Trump offered a change and it was worth taking a risk,” said Ray Blum, who owns a Dairy Queen in Petersburg, West Virginia. "Trump has been a breath of fresh air.”

November 30, 2017

Josh is a Donald Trump voter who said the president is “doing well” overall but is “50-50” in his response to Hurricane Maria. He wishes the administration had reacted faster and done more to help repair the island’s damaged infrastructure.

November 29, 2017

“In the same day, 18 people get killed in this checkpoint. I’m the only survivor … I just lost my arm and I run away.”

November 25, 2017

Petersburg in Grant County, West Virginia is an area devastated by the opioid crisis. “If I ever lost my clean date—August 29, 2014—I don’t think I would try going through this all again,” said Brenda of the difficult recovery process. “I would go to heroin, overdose and end it.”

November 22, 2017

Meet "the Trumpettes." These ladies worked to register 60,000 voters in Volusia County, Florida. “Trump is just the messenger,” Maryann Pistilli (left) said. “The election wasn’t so much about Trump as about ‘we the people.’”

November 21, 2017

“He backs us. That means a lot. Because I know there's been a couple of police-involved shootings, and he's actually spoken about those at press conferences."

November 17, 2017

“It’s not just about going out into the field and killing. It’s more important to us to have a good ethical hunt, harvest a few birds, and then prepare it immediately so that people can really understand what hunting is about."

November 16, 2017

“Keep doing exactly what you’re doing, because all my friends and relatives agree with what you’re doing,” says West Virginia State Representative Allen Evans when asked if he had any advice for the president. “I’ll ditto that,” fellow representative Bill Hamilton added.

November 10, 2017

“I know first hand from just my division when I worked in Erie, of 125 employees out of three shifts, every single one of us voted for Trump for the same reason. We wanted change."

November 7, 2017

“We're in a county where no Republican gets elected unless a Democrat votes for them."

November 6, 2017

“It’s very hard being a Democrat in West Virginia,” said Sharon Nichols. “But oh the people are wonderful.”

November 2, 2017

“Companies are interviewing 50 people and only 10 qualify." State Del. Allen Evans (right), who represents much of Grant County, West Virginia, said that employers are unable to fill vacancies because of drug testing requirements.

November 1, 2017

Donald Trump is “taking us down a really dangerous path,” says Barbara Henderson of West Virginia. Nonetheless she and other Democrats agree that most of his supporters seemed happy with him.

October 26, 2017

“I think he's missing a couple of the countries — Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Afghanistan — that should be on the ban list."

October 25, 2017

“The truth of the matter is I think people will be disappointed when they don't see some of those economic changes happen like they had hoped."

October 24, 2017

Macomb County resident Darryl Howard knew Trump would win the election when he got caught up in a traffic jam caused by a Trump rally a couple of days before the election. The traffic, he said, “was lined up for miles."

October 23, 2017

“[Trump] won the whole state, where not every county is experiencing the same [demographic] situation that we do."

October 22, 2017

“Most of the groups that [Democrats] are interested in tend to be in urban areas. And they’ve lost track of the rural voter and they have to start paying attention to those people," says University of Wisconsin-La Crosse political scientist Joe Heim.

October 20, 2017

"I don't think the country has the morals and values to take an issue like this head on and deal with it, Charlie said referring to the opioid crisis, which has hit West Virginia particularly hard."

October 19, 2017

“Hunting is just a huge part of my world. I heard over and over again from the election judges that if Hillary won, people would not be able to fill their freezer. This is really important in a rural area, because people do hunt for food, and they have for generations. It’s not just Republicans."

October 18, 2017

“I have a friend who lives in D.C., and I tell him I live in Erie. He says, ‘This is redneck area where nobody likes refugees.’ This is not right. I said, ‘I live there four years and people are so nice, so caring."

October 17, 2017

“Unless every gun on the street is eliminated, people are going to find ways to get guns. Frankly, if a few more people in the crowd had had guns, [the Las Vegas massacre] might not have been as bad as it was.”

October 12, 2017

“People have asked me about BLM, and it won’t make some of your viewers happy, but I’m sorry, I come from the perspective, all lives matter. I absolutely do. I don’t care what color you are. I don’t care what religion you are. All lives matter and have value."

October 9, 2017

“Our community, they feel welcome, are welcome, so they open their arms for us,” said Carmen, a Mexican immigrant. “And this is why I am so happy to live in this place.”

October 8, 2017

“If I owned the team and they did not stand, their asses would be gone,” said Jack Brandenburg, a straight-talking Republican state senator who represents part of Macomb County, Michigan, a county that single-handedly delivered Trump the vote differential to win Michigan.

October 5, 2017

“The people that are purists on the progressive side of the party [are] saying, ‘This is our platform, if you’re a candidate and you’re okay with guns, we don’t want to support you.’ [But] it’s Iowa. People have guns, you know?”

September 30, 2017

“Kid Rock says it like it is,” one woman said. “He’s not politically correct, and honestly politicians should be like that.” Many concertgoers sported signature Kid Rock jerseys that say, "Fucks Given: 00."

September 27, 2017

"We need someone in there with common sense and who will get things done for us,” a woman attending his concert wearing a Kid Rock for Senate '18 T-shirt said.

September 19, 2017

"Eventually he's going to get killed,” said Sumar Khalasawi, a Chaldean Christian living in Macomb County, Michigan of her detained husband. “My husband has tattoos of Christianity. He's a target there after he goes there."

September 15, 2017

"It's a life or death situation for us," says Assyrian-Christian activist Nahren Anweya.

August 28, 2017

"I totally understand the importance of preserving history. These are public statues paid for by citizens that were erected years ago. And they're just being toppled over by protesters because they're upset with the history. At the same time, that's a very soft argument when you consider that this man led an army whose whole purpose was to defend a system that enslaved people."

August 16, 2017

"I [am] a U.S. citizen, but I didn't come here as a U.S. citizen. I wasn't a resident. I was illegal. Why? Because my parents brought me here when I was 10 years old. My dad was already a resident. If I hear what Trump is saying … I do feel affected sometimes and offended."

August 15, 2017

Todd Mensink: "Quite honestly, what people will be surprised about, and we're about as polar opposite as you can get, [is] we agree on a lot of stuff." ; Chris Chilson: "We come at it from two completely [different perspectives] but we can find common ground."

August 8, 2017

"For you to tell me, or assume, that every person of a certain gender needs to vote for that gender, if that's not sexism, I don't know what is."

July 12, 2017

“If you’re asking me do I have 100 percent trust in Donald Trump, at this point in time, my answer is 'no.' Has Donald earned the people’s respect yet? I don’t think so. He hasn’t earned mine. But with that being said, he is the president and I am willing to give him a chance.”