ST. LOUIS, MO – At Vice President Mike Pence's recent speech at a vandalized Jewish cemetery, Trump supporters in the crowd were unsure how to react as Pence said something civil.
Scattered cheers and chants were heard from the crowd, but uncomfortable silence predominated when Pence started denouncing anti-Semitism.
“I voted for Trump and Pence, and I’ve been to many of their rallies,” said local resident Sam Jamerson. “It fires me up to hear them trash the dishonest media and crooked politicians. When I heard the Vice President was coming to town, I figured there would be more of that.”
Jamerson paused and frowned. “This is less my thing, though,” he said, regarding Pence’s speech condemning hatred and violence.
Other attendees shared Jamerson’s disconcertion. “I brought my ‘Build That Wall’ sign with me today, but it doesn’t really feel appropriate,” said Susan Morse. “Normally, I like to get the people near me chanting ‘Make America Great Again’ or ‘Lock Her Up.’ But when I tried that today, nobody joined in."
As it became clear that Pence’s speech was not going to center around his usual themes, the confusion among attendees gave way to disappointment. “Don’t get me wrong, I love this administration,” said Jamerson. “It’s just, when I drove out here today, I was ready to get angry about Obamacare. This love-and-care-for-the-Jewish-community stuff is fine, I guess, but I like the old stuff better.”
Crowd enthusiasm reached a fever pitch when Pence singled out someone in attendance, but that excitement faded as people realized that Pence was merely welcoming the Missouri governor. “I thought we were going to get to boo someone, maybe even spit at them,” said Morse. “What a bummer.”