A certain New Yorker mounting a huge campaign had Krena and Almon Poole sitting on a curb in single digit temperatures amid another snowy January on Tuesday morning.
The two have invested heavily, if indirectly, in Donald Trump’s run for the White House.
They’ve left their home in (far warmer) Tuscumbia, Ala., behind and loaded up what they said was $50,000 worth of T-shirts bearing the Trump name and “make America great again” slogan. They hit Winterset, across the street from the John Wayne Birthplace Museum, to catch a small crowd gathering for an announcement (the Duke’s daughter was endorsing him) in hopes of some sales.
Next would come other chilly, wind-tortured Iowa towns and then down to Oklahoma for yet another Trump rally.
Their gear isn’t licensed by the candidate. The designs are original. Yet they said they’re fans.
“He’s great,” Almon Poole said.
Across the street, Vincent Reul of St. Louis sold Trump buttons and hats. He was non-committal on the candidate, but liked that his campaign drew crowds.
“Most of these people really love him,” Reul said.
But not everybody.
“One guy wanted to know if he could buy one so he could put in on his dartboard,” Reul said. “I told him I didn’t care. I just want to sell ’em.”