By Libbing Barrera and Christopher Quintero
Spring, NY and El Paso, TX

President Trump is the target of many negative reviews from New Jersey residents. On a Friday evening in Princeton, New Jersey, local people were questioned about their perception of Trump’s policies and his time as president.

Janet Shaw, a 66 year-old woman from Plainsboro, New Jersey shook her head and sighed that there were “simply no words” to explain her contempt for Trump. She felt quite strongly about people that voted for him and was shocked to hear there were Princetonians that supported him. Shaw claims the media portrays him accurately — as a “horrible human being” — and doesn’t think he could do anything to improve his image.

Trump’s persona seems to be solidified in the eyes of many residents. After seven months as president, residents have formed permanent opinions and it appears that Trump could have a difficult time repairing his reputation. Todd Kane, 66, quotes an article that states Trump has always been “a liar, a cheat, and a thief.” He believes Trump is completely ineffective and has nothing else to offer but his social media outbursts. Kane points out that the economy has improved but questions the extent of Trump’s influence. Kane’s wife Karen, 67, felt just as strongly. She deemed Trump a “narcissistic sociopathic bully who is a non-intellectual man destroying the image of the constitution.”

However, not everyone condemned Trump’s actions. Twenty-year-old Adrian Juzeniw, originally from Ukraine, matter-of-factly stated that he voted for Trump. He’s a student at the local community college and defended the president, stating that “the media exploits him too much… give him ten days without saying anything negative, and you’ll realize the amount he’s going to do for our country.” Calmly puffing his pipe, he described President Trump as “an okay dude.”

Ken Kowalski, 66, a retired elementary teacher, views Trump as an awful role model due to his dishonesty. He said he and his generation looked up to George W. Bush, but Trump having the same responsibility for the country’s welfare concerns him. Kowalski sized up the two leaders with a fable: “Bush cut down that cherry tree and owned up to it… Trump on the other hand tells lies.”