Donald Trump 'brought a lot of people together'

Shortly after returning from last week's Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Curry County delegate Tina Dziuk voiced confidence that Donald Trump will win the 2024 presidential election.

"I think the way everybody saw him react, that he was concerned for the crowd, that he is a fighter," Dziuk said, "... I think that really brought a lot of people together."

Dziuk said she feels Trump will be reelected because of a strong debate and RNC performance. Dziuk also said she feels Biden stepped down because of the RNC and, in turn, solidified Curry County's support from the Republican nominee.

Data shows that 67% of eastern New Mexico voters opted for Trump when he won the 2016 presidential election, while 69% of eastern New Mexico voters chose Trump in 2020.

Many pundits feel like those numbers will be duplicated in 2024.

"Based on everything that I know about eastern New Mexico, Trump will win the presidential election for sure, 60%-plus," said Rube Render, a former Clovis city commissioner and longtime Curry County Republican chair.

If Trump is re-elected, Dziuk said she expects to see more strict immigration policies. She also believes immigration issues will be a major factor in the presidential race.

Echoing remarks made by Trump during his RNC speech, Dziuk said she is open to immigrants coming to Clovis and elsewhere. But she wants a safer, more efficient process. 

"Anywhere from six (million) to 10 million have flooded in illegally," Dziuk said. "There is immigrant crime. There's a lot of violent crime."

As for abortion, likely another key election issue, Dziuk said she agrees with Trump's policy that allows states to decide the issue.

She also believes "70% of New Mexicans, and that's Republicans and Democrats, don't like third-trimester abortions."

Another massive talking point in this election has been Project 2025.

According to the Washington Post, it's a "900-page plan that calls for ... mass deportations ... cutting entire federal agencies ... infusing Christian nationalism into every facet of government policy ..."

Project 2025 wasn't created by Trump, rather the Heritage Foundation, "which has a revolving door for Trump officials" and is a "sponsor of the Republican National Convention," according to that same Washington Post article. 

Dziuk said she didn't spend much time reviewing Project 2025 because Trump "denounced" it quickly. 

"President Trump's agenda is on his website. And so that's what I tell people they need to go look at," she said. 

Dziuk said she noticed a more "subdued" and "unified" Trump and Republican Party at the RNC. She thinks this stems from Trump surviving an assassination attempt during a rally in Pennsylvania on July 13. 

"That intensity has come down because that attempted assassination was a very sobering moment," Dziuk said. 

Dziuk said the Jan. 6 riots at the Capitol and Trump's recent felony convictions were not largely discussed at the RNC. And when asked about Democrats' assertions that the GOP's increased diversity efforts at the convention – various religions held prayers, there was LGBTQ+ representation – was to pander and poach Democratic voters, Dziuk said: "I don't think Trump's pandering. And the reason I don't think so is because prior to running for president, he was friends with a lot of those people."