Hawaii’s GOP not discouraged by Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - Members of Hawaii’s GOP interviewed Friday said they’re not worried about President Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis and are focused on re-election efforts.

Over the past several months, GOP supporters in the islands have taken their message to the streets with rolling caravans on nearly every island.

Several hundred are expected to participate in another caravan on Oahu on Saturday, with meet-up points in Hawaii Kai, Kapolei and Halawa.

Organizers say participants will converge at the corner of Ala Moana and Atkinson.

Despite the president’s hospitalization, Republican state Senate candidate Sam Slom says he doesn’t expect the tone Saturday to be any different.

“I don’t think so quite frankly, because nobody is worried,” he said. “The president as I saw is strong. The President will be back doing his duty.”

The roving caravans are part of a grassroots movement that isn’t officially sponsored by the Hawaii Republican Party.

“What this shows us is there are a lot of people who are looking for something different,” said party Chairwoman Shirlene Ostrov, who is campaigning for Trump in Northern Virginia.

Over the past several weeks, she’s been stumping for Trump in several battleground states.

Although Trump likely won’t be on the campaign trail in the coming weeks the way he had originally planned, she says the GOP won’t be deterred. “We wish the President well,” Ostrov said. “We know he’s going to quarantine and the campaign goes on.”

And not just nationally. There are 38 Republican candidates on the ballot vying for seats in Hawaii.

“It’s a competition of ideas that will help our government operate best,” said Ostrov.

Slom added, “It’s wonderful to see. We didn’t see it in 2016. People are coming out. They’re not afraid.”

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