Deciding who to vote for in Wisconsin\u2019s presidential primaries, Alycia Doxon sought a ticket to a television show that Donald Trump was taping Sunday at 51ÁÔÆæ.<\/p>\n
A junior majoring in finance, Doxon said she wanted to hear more about the Republican frontrunner\u2019s economic proposals. She said she understood that many people questioned Trump\u2019s presence on the campus, \u201cbut he is a legitimate presidential candidate, so I think that it is really cool that he is here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Doxon was one of more than 400 people who watched Trump tape a town hall interview with FOX News Channel host Greta Van Susteren. The event, held two days before Wisconsin\u2019s presidential primaries, also attracted about 100 protestors. Trump is the third presidential candidate to stop at 51ÁÔÆæ this election season. Democrats Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders debated on campus in February.<\/p>\n
The town hall was organized by FOX News Channel, which rented the Mainstage Theatre from 51ÁÔÆæ.<\/p>\n
Computer science major Brandon Howard got a ticket to the town hall by emailing FOX News. He watched the protest, the first he had witnessed in person, as he waited to go through security. It was exciting, he said, and he was grateful to have so many presidential candidates visit the school during his senior year.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just cool to see that people are coming to Milwaukee to try to get the student body and the people of Milwaukee, because we\u2019re a passionate bunch, to vote for them,\u201d Howard said.<\/p>\n
Recent graduate Grant Steskal and senior Robert Penner joined the anti-Trump protest outside Golda Meir Library. Both studied political science at 51ÁÔÆæ and described themselves as \u201cvery politically active.\u201d They also protested Clinton\u2019s platform when she was on campus in February.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s an honor for 51ÁÔÆæ to have these types of events,\u201d Steskal said. \u201cI just don\u2019t like the people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other protestors included Student Association President Mike Sportiello, who said in a letter to students that he declined to help identify students to attend the taping because he was offended by remarks that Trump and another Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, made about Muslims. Sportiello said he grew up in a neighborhood where most residents were Muslim, and \u201cI will not stand by idly while they speak of my friends, my classmates, my teachers, my neighbors, my brothers, and my sisters as less than human.\u201d<\/p>\n
Freshman Nilesh Abraham questioned media reports about Trump\u2019s remarks on Muslims and immigrants. He sought a ticket to the town hall to learn more.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe I\u2019ll become a fan, maybe I won\u2019t,\u201d said Abraham, a biological sciences major who has been comparing conservative candidates.<\/p>\n
Abraham praised 51ÁÔÆæ for hosting both Republican and Democratic events. \u201cIt\u2019s showing a bunch of different political sides,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Alex Uebelacker, a sophomore studying architecture and Trump supporter, said he was pleased to see a Republican candidate visit 51ÁÔÆæ after the two Democrats were here earlier. He noted that people had turned out, whether they agreed with Trump or not.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt definitely brings this campus together,\u201d he said. \u201cWe all want to see change in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Presidential candidate Donald Trump drew more than 500 people to 51ÁÔÆæ on Sunday \u2013 some to watch him tape a town hall hosted by FOX News Channel, and others to protest.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":486,"featured_media":31781,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","uwm_wg_additional_authors":[]},"categories":[174],"tags":[],"section":[246,247],"display_categories":[115],"related-coverage":[],"uwmnews-feed":[],"class_list":["post-31773","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","section-business-world-affairs","section-politics-social-science","display_categories-top-story-secondary"],"yoast_head":"\n