GOP Presidential Candidates Speak to Town of Exeter

Austin Desisto/ The Exonian

By ETHAN DING, KAI GOWDA, WILLIAM INOUE, LILY RAMPE, ISHAAN SINGH and FORREST ZENG

For the first two weeks of October, news organization USA Today hosted five Republican presidential nominees at the Exeter Town Hall. Exeter students visited Republican candidates Asa Hutchinson, Nikki Haley, Doug Burgum, Mike Pence, and Vivek Ramaswamy as they talked about their policies and beliefs. Asa Hutchinson was in Town Hall on Oct. 10, Nikki Haley on Oct. 12, Doug Burgum on Oct. 13, Mike Pence on Oct. 13, and Vivek Ramaswamy on Oct. 14. All candidates were scheduled at different times, ranging from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Each Town Hall began with opening statements from the candidates. Haley used this time to overview her policies and what she stands for, starting with her position on the National Debt. “We’re $33 trillion in debt. I would love to tell you that Biden did that to us, but our Republicans did that to us too,” she said.

Haley then went on to talk about the current crisis in Israel. “It is really important that America has a president and that our country has moral clarity at a time like this,” Haley concluded.

For lower Dushant Lohano, attending the forums was a way to hear candidates talk about their background and personal experiences. “Once I realized that [Haley] was Indian, I thought it’d be actually really good if I went, because since I’m also Indian, I want to see candidates that share the same similarities between us. That’s also the reason I also went to Vivek Ramaswamy as well,” Lohano said.

On the issue of immigration, former governor of Arkansas, Asa Hutchinson, took the opportunity to interrogate President Joe Biden’s immigration policies. Hutchinson explained, “The key challenge with immigration is that President Biden opened it up…He’s tried to reverse policy, but it has no credibility.”

Hutchinson continued, “I will send a clear message that is unequivocal and consistent: that our border is closed. I support immigration. It adds to the vibrancy of our democracy. But we cannot demonstrate unlawfulness, and I would submit to Congress a border security bill that would add resources there both to our processing of asylum and building infrastructure.”

In his Town Hall, Hutchinson also voiced his opinion of former President Donald Trump. “I was very clear and outspoken in the first debate. I was really the only one that sat there and said that I’m not going to support Donald Trump if he’s a convicted felon, and that’s not a very high bar to get over,” Hutchinson said.

When asked about Hutchinson, senior Clara Peng shared, “I was not satisfied by the way he responded to questions about climate change or school safety — primarily due to his lack of clarity.”

Former Vice President Mike Pence was also one of the candidates to have a Town Hall talk in Exeter. During his session, Pence was questioned about his perspective on accusations of election fraud in the 2020 election. He responded, “Despite the fact the former president had been convinced by a group of crackpot lawyers that I had some authority to overturn the election, I made it clear to him that I did not. I knew what my duty was that day.”

Pence also spoke about the situation in Israel, sharing a similar opinion as Haley. “I believe America should speak with one voice at this moment. We will stand with Israel,” Pence said.

One of the final Republican candidates to be hosted by the Exeter Town Hall, Vivek Ramaswamy, started his open forum by mentioning his experience of the “American dream.” Ramaswamy said, “Following our faith, putting an emphasis on education. That is the American dream and I am genuinely worried that that American dream will not exist in the future.”

Later, when asked about his lack of qualifications for president by an attendee, Ramaswamy responded with confidence in his lack of experience. “If we want to address the corruption that takes place in that system of funding political campaigns, then yes, I do think it will take an outsider,” Ramaswamy said.

Many students who attended the Town Hall forums expressed their satisfaction for the organization of the events, describing the atmosphere as respectful and professional. “There were a lot of people there running the event, and it started and ended right on time,” Peng said. “There were even ushers.”

Lohano shared similar sentiments, saying “The staff was very helpful. It was easy to ask questions and all the presidential candidates were very nice. It was all well organized. It was a good experience.”

Prep Eliyas Koch-Manzur agreed. “I think they tried really hard. I went to the Mike Pence event, and it was pretty organized.”

Upper and Democratic Club co-head Aveen Burney attended both Pence and Ramaswamy’s hall talks. “I decided to go because I wanted to see the people who are, and will be leading our country,” Burney said. “The candidates that came were all really famous, and I thought it would be cool to get to see them in person. The events were well organized, and I thought the candidates did a good job of promoting their message.”

Despite most Exeter students being unable to vote and the forums taking place during Academy appointments, many made an effort to attend the forums and ask questions.

For Peng, the forums were an opportunity to hear the candidates speak in-person. “It’s super important to be politically involved. Even though my personal values are not necessarily reflected by every candidate, I believe that it is a valuable experience to hear them speak and learn more about them than what is accessible online,” Peng said.

Burney agreed, though she also noted some of the inconvenient aspects of the Town Hall forums. “I really enjoyed going to the talks, despite some of the challenges. I had to stand in the back for most of them, and there wasn’t enough time for my questions to be answered,” Burney said. “Also, because of my schedule, it was hard to find a time when I was available to go see most of the candidates.”

As the 2024 presidential election draws near, students look forward to more opportunities to hear about candidates’ platforms in close-proximity. Peng noted, “I think it’s great for Exeter to have opportunities to learn about the people influencing politics today. Being a student here makes it convenient too, and I would love to see more candidates come.”

“As a local, I think it’s good for the school. It’s a good opportunity for the press and the candidates, especially considering that New Hampshire is a swing state,” Koch-Manzur added.