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Boulder Welcomes Trump Jr. and Sanders as Election Day Approaches

Boulder Welcomes Trump Jr. and Sanders as Election Day Approaches

Boulder had an eventful Monday this week, hosting both a campaign stop for the Trump campaign and a speech from former presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders. Donald Trump Jr. spoke in support of his father to a crowd of supporters and protestors on Pearl Street, while Sanders and several local politicians made speeches on CU Boulder’s Farrand Field to garner support for Amendment 69, which would reform the state’s healthcare system.

Sanders, Sen. Irene Aguilar, Rep. Jonathan Singer, and Rep. Joe Salazar spoke to a crowd of more than 2,000 people without any difficulties at around 5 pm, while the Trump campaign faced several setbacks before their event was held at an unoccupied commercial space on Pearl Street around 4:30 pm, according to the Daily Camera.

The Trump campaign originally made reservation at The Sink, a long-time Boulder favorite that has hosted chefs like Guy Fieri, Anthony Bourdain, and Eric Ripert. President Barack Obama also visited in 2012 before a scheduled speech at the university.

The difference between Obama’s visit and the Trump event was that Obama gave them prior warning and that he was not there as part of a political event, said The Sink owner Mark Heinritz. Heinritz claims that they had no idea that the 50-person reservation had been made for the Trump campaign, while a local Trump campaign staffer declared the issue a “miscommunication.”

Heinritz told the Trump party that they were more than welcome to eat inside the restaurant, but that they would have to have their campaign event off the premises; restaurant policy is not to allow any political event on the property.

“If he wants to come in and be a guest, that’s fine,” Heinritz told the Daily Camera. “We do not discriminate and we will not discriminate. If he wants it to be a campaign event, he can do that outside.”

The Sink’s press contact Ben Heinemann also posted a notice on the restaurant’s website, explaining their decision and encouraging people to vote and “direct their energy to this very important election.”

As a result, the campaign made a last-minute venue change to the space on Pearl Street, where Donald Trump Jr. made a short speech and posed for photos. Supporters and protestors argued and shouted at each other for up to half an hour after Trump left, but no violence occurred.

Several Trump supporters told the Daily Camera that they were impressed that the campaign held an event in Boulder, a distinctly liberal city in a “purple” swing state. It is no surprise that attendees at the Amendment 69 event wore “Feel the Bern” buttons and Bernie t-shirts; the Sanders campaign had widespread support on the CU campus, and Sanders spoke at Potts Field last October while on the campaign trail.

Hillary Clinton is currently leading Donald Trump by eight points in Colorado, according to the latest Quinnipiac University poll published yesterday.

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