[vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnIxY5Nx_NI”][vc_single_image image=”110647″ img_size=”full” onclick=”img_link_large” img_link_target=”_blank”][vc_column_text]Boston University students express their views on the U.S. presidential candidates Donald Trump and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ wins at the 2016 New Hampshire primary for the Republican Party and the Democratic Party, respectively. Trump won 10 delegates from the Republican Party with 35.3 percent, and Sanders won 15 delegates from the Democratic Party with 60.4 percent.
Tyler Armey, freshman in the College of Communication
“Personally, I’m a little frightened that Trump is still leading the polls in the primary, because I thought by now people will start to realize some of his policies and how offensive they are to many different cultures and groups in the United States,” Armey said. “To see that he was still leading, even if it not by a majority, it was just a little concerning for me. So I’m hoping it will change in the other primaries, at least.”
Taylor Resteghini, junior in the College of Arts and Sciences
“I think for the Clinton’s campaign, they were really hoping on the fact that New Hampshire was a win for Bill Clinton, and I think they had been talking about it, and I know Hillary Clinton mentioned that New Hampshire has been very good to her husband and to her family in the past,” Resteghini said. “They were hoping that it was going to be another, you know, ‘easy win’ for them, but I think it’s really surprising how Trump and Bernie won, and I think it’s really an indication that a lot of people are looking for candidates that are very outside the political establishment, and on both ends, Bernie and Trump are both sort of political outsiders. While traditionally one might think that that’s not good in terms of trying to become president, it seems like it could actually be good for them [because] they’re different. They have different ideas.”
Jake McCoskey, freshman in the College of Engineering
“For Sanders, I think it’s mostly positive. He’s running a lot of social change and stuff. He’s pushing the status quo right now and is getting a lot of response, which is good. While Trump, I see, is the focus of a lot that’s wrong with this country. It’s kind of sad that he’s getting all this attention,” McCoskey said. “I think it will have a huge impact on Sanders. I think he is now going to be taken seriously in a lot of states. Before, it was mostly Hillary. With Trump, I think it’s going to make more people believe that he’s electable. When he lost the first one [the Iowa caucus], people were like, ‘Will people vote for him?’ But now I think people will be more comfortable voting for him now that he’s won a race.”
Casey Piacentini, freshman in the Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
“I was pleased with the Democratic turnout in the primary. With Bernie being so close to Vermont, the New Hampshire residents could easily see the work that he’s done. They had a lot more faith in him than the rest of the country,” Piacentini said. “The Republicans’ [result] kind of surprised me. I figured that Trump would probably win because the polls were looking like that, but John Kasich kind of seemed like he came out of nowhere. I don’t think there’s one specific candidate from either side that seems like they’re really taking it.”
Steven Barry, Archana Beeram, Kennedy Davis, Brianne Garrett, Caroline Hitesman and Alex Li contributed to the reporting of this article. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]
