CHARLESTON, W.Va. — It all seemed to come together that May 5th night in 2016 when thousands of West Virginians rallied with then-candidate Donald Trump at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center.

There was Trump, best known before his unlikely presidential run for his reality show The Apprentice, on a stage in West Virginia where those in the sell-out crowd were completing with him almost every familiar line he delivered during that rally.

Republican political consultant Greg Thomas remembers it well.

“It was exciting. It was awesome. It was the best political event I had ever been to. It’s the best political event I will ever go to,” Thomas said. “I was really proud to be part of that campaign, I thought it was awesome and that’s Trump at his best.”

There was something about that night that seemed to cement the relationship a majority of West Virginians have continued to have with Trump now four years removed from his only term in office. Support that seems just as strong despite Trump’s well-documented troubles.

Why?

Former Wood County Republican Party Chairman Rob Cornelius said it’s simple.

“Biden has proved the other side can’t get the job done,” Cornelius said. “Ninety percent of you are saying you aren’t better off than you were four years ago.”

Thomas sees Trump’s support in West Virginia in three groups.

He said first there are those who liked him eight years ago and still like him today because he is a disruptor. Secondly, there’s a group that don’t care much for his behavior but that like the policies that were produced in his first administration and then lastly, there’s a group, familiar to Cornelius’ description, that don’t like what the Biden administration has done.

“I think you get these groups that keep layering onto each other and that’s why I think his support is higher than it was eight years ago,” Thomas said.

Trump garnered 68% of the vote in the 2016 general election. In reelection bid four years later it was almost identical.

Act of faith

There’s strong support for Trump among conservative church goers in the Mountain State.

“It’s an act of faith,” former Charleston Mayor Danny Jones told MetroNews. “I don’t think people hold something against people forever. He’s vulgar but they just move that part over. People like President Trump because he is enemies with people that don’t like them.”

Thomas said the seemingly mismatched relationship is based on policy.

“It’s the policies. I’m as pro-Trump as anybody but there are things he says that I say, ‘I wish he wouldn’t have said that.’ If you really are a person of faith and you really care about family values, it’s the policies.”

Fairmont State University University Assistant Professor of Political Science Greg Noone said the biggest thing Trump has been able to do is to connect with people who feel like they’ve been left behind or left out of the economy.

“There’s that disaffected feeling that others are rocketing ahead and they’re being left behind,” Noone said. “I think he speaks to that on a gut base level and I think that’s the connection he makes,” Noone said.

Post-Trump

Trump will win West Virginia in November with the national race once again expected to be tight. Some are wondering where West Virginia will look post-Trump, whether that’s in November, four years down the road or eight years from now.

Cornelius called it a heavy lift because it will be difficult for anyone to match Trump.

“Politicians are boring by nature and that are risk averse, Trump is neither one of those things,” Cornelius said.

He said Trump has been popular, especially in 2016, with people who don’t usually vote. Again, he said any further GOP candidate will have a tough time matching that.

“It’s hard to find someone that interesting,” Cornelius said.

Thomas said Trump won’t always be there but if he’s reelected then he can get his policies in place that will impact the country for years to come.

Jones said Trump’s popularity, that many West Virginia candidates in this election cycle are latching themselves to, is not going to last.

“I don’t buy into it. It won’t work the next time,” Jones said. “If he doesn’t win this election he’s probably going to prison.”

Prediction

How will Trump do Tuesday?

“Sixty-eight percent,” Jones said.

Thomas said Trump will once again show how strong he is in West Virginia despite his issues. He said a large majority of West Virginians seem to be able to choose policy over person. He said that was on display during that Charleston rally eight years ago this month.

“That was Trump at his absolute best and he has those moments but he has some moments that are not his best. But that’s the thing with Trump–you’ve got to take the whole thing,” Thomas said.