President Trump s Ardent Backers Support Him More Than Ever

SUN CITY, Arizona (AP) - President Donald Trump's most ardent champions are sticking by him, happy to absolve him of any wrong in the blame game over the deadly weekend violence at a rally of white supremacists. Some Republican members of Congress have criticized Trump's back and forth response since a car slammed into a crowd of counter protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, killing a woman and injuring 19 other people. Trump's insistence that "both sides" bear responsibility for the violence has sparked anger among many Americans. But many of the men and women who helped elect Trump seem unfazed by the outcry over his statements concerning the protest and counter protest over removing a monument to Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. Although he didn't vote in the last presidential election, David Ash, 64, of Sun City, Ariz., talks about his support of President Donald Trump at a local grocery store Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2017, in Sun City, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) The enthusiasm of many of the president's core supporters has been noted in the past. Trump himself boasted during the campaign last year he "could stand in the middle of Fifth Can ho Sunshine Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose voters." Such unflagging support remains despite polls that show his approval rates dipping overall. ___ "I WOULD VOTE FOR HIM AGAIN IN A HEARTBEAT"  In Sun City, Arizona, a retirement community and Trump stronghold north of Phoenix, 80-year-old John Libby said nothing the president has done since Election Day has changed his support for the man. "I would vote for him again in a heartbeat," Libby said in the bright Can ho Sunshine Avenue outside a grocery store in a strip mall of low-slung stucco buildings. The Des Moines, Iowa, native said he thought the president handled the aftermath of the Charlottesville attack well, but allowed that Trump's response "wasn't fast enough for some people." Arriving at the supermarket in his golf cart, Dr. Charles Thomson, a 92-year-old psychiatrist formerly of San Diego, said he voted for Trump and now "I support him more than ever." ___ "HE HAS DONE NOTHING TO TURN ME AWAY FROM HIM"  Patricia Aleeyah Robinson, a retired truck driver from Toledo, Ohio, said her support of Trump has cost her friendships and strained family relationships. But like many of the president's most passionate supporters, the 63-year-old black woman said her opinions about Trump have not changed since his response to the violence at the Charlottesville rally. "He has done nothing to turn me away from him," said Robinson. She said he doesn't defer to racists and feels he is the only president who has ever spoken directly to blacks. ___ "HE SHOULDN'T LET THE PRESS GET UNDER HIS SKIN"  Clemente Ruiz, a 49-year-old truck driver in Lubbock, Texas, said he's been happy with the job Trump has done. "I'd vote for him again tomorrow," he said. The son of a Mexican immigrant who became an American citizen, Ruiz said his only criticism of the president is that he is too "thin-skinned." "He refuses to let anything go," Ruiz said. "He shouldn't let the press get under his skin the way they do." But overall, said Ruiz, Trump has accomplished much for the economy. "Everything is looking good as far as that goes and as far as our military goes," he added. ___ "HE SPEAKS HIS MIND"  Wyoming construction contractor Richard Mathern said he voted for Trump because of his business experience and wasn't fazed he hadn't spoken out more forcefully against the weekend violence. The 48-year-old is among more than 68 percent of people in Wyoming who voted for Trump in the widest margin of victory in any state. "Trump, he speaks his mind, there's no doubt about that. It does tend to tick people off," Mathern said during a break at a home nearing completion in Cheyenne. "There's a lot of hatred down there (in Charlottesville) ... But tearing down historical statues is not the answer," he said. ___ THE PRESIDENT IS DOING "PRETTY WELL"  Branden Nong, a 35-year-old from a Des Moines, Iowa suburb who works in banking, voted for Trump because he identified with his entrepreneurial background. More than six months after watching Trump's inaugural speech, Nong said he thought the president was doing "pretty well," even if he would like him to be more careful on Twitter. But Nong feels Trump is delivering on the economy with clear markers like job growth. "I'm pretty happy with the results so far," he said. He said the president was "measured" in his response to the violence in Charlottesville, but said it's unfair to blame him for deepening racial divisions that already existed. ___ "LET THE PRESIDENT DO HIS JOB"  Joyce Ash took a moment to ponder Trump after buying a dress at a Charleston, West Virginia, shopping mall to wear to the funeral for her husband of 33 years, who died of pancreatic cancer. The 71-year-old summoned nothing but support for Trump, who led her to ditch her lifelong support of Democrats. She recalled sitting up election night to watch Trump win, and has not regretted her decision. "Let the president do his job instead of trying to take him out every time you turn around," Ash implored. She didn't follow the back-and-forth over Trump's statements on Charlottesville but saw no reason to question him: "I believe that if they would just give this man a chance, the economy, everything will start going better." ___ National Writer Matt Sedensky reported from New York. Also contributing to this report were John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; Jamie Stengle in Lubbock, Texas; Mead Gruver in Cheyenne, Wyoming; Barbara Rodriguez in Des Moines, Iowa; and John Raby in Charleston, West Virginia. Dr. Charles Thomson, 92, of Sun City, Ariz., gets in his golf cart after talking about his support for President Donald Trump, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2017, in Sun City, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) John Libby, 80, of Sun City, Ariz., stands out in front of a local grocery store as he talks about his support for President Donald Trump, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2017, in Sun City, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)  Patricia Aleeyah Robinson poses for a photo on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2017, in Toledo, Ohio. Robinson, a supporter of President Donald Trump, says criticism of his response to the violence in Virginia is politically motivated. If you cherished this article and you would like to acquire more info regarding du an Sunshine Avenue gia re, kindly pay a visit to the site. (AP Photo/John Seewer) Steve Damron, 50, of Spring Hill, Fla., holds up a sign during a Hillsborough County Commission meeting about possible moving of a Confederate statue Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2017, in Tampa, Fla. Damron said the President Donald Trump handled the Charlottesville situation well, and he agreed with Trump that "both sides" were to blame. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) Construction contractor and Donald Trump voter Richard Mathern poses for photos in Cheyenne, Wyo., Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2017. Mathern says tearing down Confederate statues isn't the answer to hate, and that Trump tends to "tick people off" by speaking his mind, but he still supports Trump just as much as the day he voted for him. (AP photo/Mead Gruver) In this Jan. 20, 2017 photo, Branden Nong poses for a photo as he watches the inauguration of President Donald Trump at home in Waukee, Iowa. Nong said that while he wished the president was more careful with his tweets or in his criticism of fellow Republicans, his vote was driven by economic issues, and he has been happy with Trump's performance. Even as Trump's zig-zag response to the weekend bloodshed in Charlottesville, Va., has brought criticism from some Republican lawmakers, many men and women who helped put him in office remain unmoved by the latest uproar. (AP Photo/Barbara Rodriguez)