- Title: PERSONAL: 'I was a fan before it was cool' says 21-year-old Trump supporter
- Date: 20th January 2025
- Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (JANUARY 20, 2025) (REUTERS) SUPPORTERS OF U.S. PRESIDENT-ELECT, DONALD TRUMP, LINED UP OUTSIDE OF THE CAPITAL ONE ARENA FOR INAUGURATION WATCH PARTY TRUMP SUPPORTERS IN LINE, CHEERING TRUMP SUPPORTER, 21-YEAR-OLD JOSEPH LAWHORN, FROM BEDFORD, VIRGINIA, GIVING INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) 21-YEAR-OLD JOSEPH LAWHORN, FROM BEDFORD, VIRGINIA, SAYING: “I've been a fanboy since he come down off the elevator. I was, I guess, 12, 13. And I mean, I was Trump all the way. Everybody make fun of me. You know, and then once he got in and he was the GOAT, I'm kind of an obnoxious person, so that's kind of why I liked him. But then once he got in and this dude's like, hey, he's the stuff then everybody started jumping on board. So I always joke and say I was a fan before it was cool.” LAWHORN GIVING INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) 21-YEAR-OLD JOSEPH LAWHORN, FROM BEDFORD, VIRGINIA, SAYING: “Shein [the clothing company], baby, Shein. Yeah, I actually found one on Shein. I actually found an older one with different knockoff companies. I got one, and it was, like, three sizes too small for this for actually this time. So I had to order one. It come in last night right before I left, so.” LAWHORN GIVING INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) 21-YEAR-OLD JOSEPH LAWHORN, FROM BEDFORD, VIRGINIA, SAYING: “I'm here for the fun. You know what I mean, it's, hey, whatever happens, I'm glad I'm going to be able to get in. As you can see, I mean, it's, I would, I don't know how many, I'd say 20, 30,000 people was in line when we got here at around five, six o’clock. So. Well, we got here earlier than that. But at that time, there was probably that many. So I'm glad. I feel bad for all the people that can't get in, you know what I mean?” LAWHORN GIVING INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) 21-YEAR-OLD JOSEPH LAWHORN, FROM BEDFORD, VIRGINIA, SAYING: “One thing I've noticed by watching… [TURNS TO SEE HIS FRIENDS IN LINE BEHIND BARRICADE]… hey, show this deplorable trash Show this deplorable trash. Show it. Yeah. Deplorable trash. [HIS FRIENDS CHEER] So anyways, you know, one thing that I've kind of watched over this second, you know, well I guess you can call it third, you know, term that he or I guess, you know, election cycle that he's been involved with, is it seems like he's starting to maybe tame it down a little bit. You know, learn how to, you know, kind of bridle his tongue a little bit. And I think that'll help him. I think that'll help him this time, let me get a little more stuff done. So I'm excited. I think I think we're in for a good run.” WIDE OF TRUMP SUPPORTERS IN LINE (SOUNDBITE) (English) 21-YEAR-OLD JOSEPH LAWHORN, FROM BEDFORD, VIRGINIA, SAYING: “You know, as a whole, you're going to have idiots everywhere. You're not, you got people, you got problems. You're not going to get rid of the problems, you know. So, January 6th, hey, me personally, I think the election was rigged. Okay, on the other hand, it wasn't right for them to storm the capital, whether Antifa had a lot to do with it. You know, that's neither here - you're always going to have some bad apples in the bunch. So overall, you know, we might have disagreements, but we're going to come together. We're going to do what we do as Americans.” TRUMP SUPPORTERS IN LINE (SOUNDBITE) (English) 21-YEAR-OLD JOSEPH LAWHORN, FROM BEDFORD, VIRGINIA, SAYING: “I'm a big Dave Ramsey fan. So he always says that a president's term, don't expect… it don't it don't affect our lives as much as we would like to say it does. You what I'm saying? Everyone say, Obama, you know, blah, blah, blah. He done this, he done that. Well, really, the main White House you need to worry about is your own house. So I think, you know, Trump, he does a lot. He's going to do a lot to help us, you know, progress our lives and our successful careers. But a lot of it is a mentality. Like I've noticed since - I got a lot of friends and family to real estate - I've noticed just since Trump won in the last 90 days, real estate sales skyrocketed. You know what I mean? Because it's a it's a feeling. It's a vibe. He's America First.” (SOUNDBITE) (English) 21-YEAR-OLD JOSEPH LAWHORN, FROM BEDFORD, VIRGINIA, SAYING: “[SHOWING THE CAMERA A PICTURE ON HIS CELLPHONE OF HIM WITH DONALD TRUMP] This was 2017, and I was privileged to go to a rally, again I was like 13 and my dad dropped me off. He had to go. He was doing something, meeting and clients. He dropped me off at a rally by myself. I went in and got to helping the Secret Service actually handing out posters. And I was like, wanting to ask, I was like, Nah, I can’t ask, they ain’t gonna let me. So I was like, ‘Hey, you all think you can help me get a picture?’ Sure enough, 20 minutes later, I had a picture, so they run me backstage. [REPORTER ASKS: “Did he [Trump] say anything to you?”] Yeah, he said ‘You’re a great American, son’. It was kind of fast paced. But hey, if Mr. President sees this, I wouldn't mind another picture, sir.” WIDE OF TRUMP SUPPORTERS IN LINE (SOUNDBITE) (English) 21-YEAR-OLD JOSEPH LAWHORN, FROM BEDFORD, VIRGINIA, SAYING: “We’re [his family] very right-wing, conservative people, so we all support Trump. You know, some people, hey, I wish he would do this, I wish he would do that. I’m more take it or leave it. So I tend to take it all.” LAWHORN WALKING TO GET INTO LINE LAWHORN JOINING HIS FRIENDS IN LINE, INTRODUCING THEM AS “Deplorable trash” (SOUNDBITE) (English) 21-YEAR-OLD JOSEPH LAWHORN, FROM BEDFORD, VIRGINIA, IN LINE, SPEAKING TO REPORTER, SAYING: REPORTER: “How long have you been out here?” LAWHORN: “Since about two.” REPORTER: “Worth it?” LAWHORN: “Of course.” LAWHORN AND HIS FRIENDS IN LINE VARIOUS OF LAWHORN MOVING THROUGH LINE
- Embargoed: 3rd February 2025 14:33
- Keywords: Capital One Center Trump Trump 47 Trump supporter election inauguration
- Location: WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES
- City: WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES
- Country: US
- Topics: North America,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001474820012025RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Joseph Lawhorn was only a boy when he saw Donald Trump coming down the golden escalator in Trump Tower to kick of his presidential run ten years ago, but he’s never forgotten it. From that moment on, he was “Trump all the way”.
As 21-year-old Lawhorn, dressed head to toe in an American flag suit, waited in line with thousands of others on inauguration day to get into the Capital One Arena on Monday (January 20), he joked that he has been a Trump supporter “since before it was cool”.
Freezing temperatures forced the inauguration indoors at the U.S. Capitol, and Trump’s tens of thousands of supporters who traveled from far and wide like Lawhorn will watch the event from the arena. The traditional parade down Pennsylvania Avenue past the White House will also take place there.
Joseph Lawhorn said he came four hours from him home in Bedford, Virginia, where he runs a cattle farm with his brother, and had been waiting in line since 2 a.m.
While Trump’s unguarded language rankles others, Lawhorn said it’s one of the things that first drew him to Trump.
“I'm kind of an obnoxious person, so that's kind of why I liked him,” he said. But he said since Trump won a new term he’s noticed a change in Trump’s tone. “He's starting to maybe tame it down a little bit,” he said, something Lawhorn says will let Trump “Get a little more stuff done.”
Trump will be sworn in as U.S. president on Monday, with promises to push the limits of executive power, deport millions of immigrants, secure retribution against his political enemies and transform the role of the U.S. on the world stage, ushering in what could be another turbulent four-year term.
But Lawnhorn says he hopes Trump will unify Americans.
“So overall, you know, we might have disagreements, but we're going to come together. We're going to do what we do as Americans,” he said.
Lawhorn got the chance to meet his political idol at a rally when he was 13, and as he showed off a picture of him with the then-president, he said took the opportunity to send Trump an appeal for an update.
“Hey, if Mr. President sees this, I wouldn't mind another picture, sir.”
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