NITRO, W.Va. — In a state where many voters say they’ll support Republican nominee Donald Trump for President, one resident said he plans to vote for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
“She’s the sane one,” said Steve Collins of Nitro.
“I’m afraid of him,” he said of Trump. “I would vote for almost anybody over him.”
Collins was at the Regal Nitro Stadium 12 for a free viewing of the third and final Presidential Debate broadcasted lived from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
“She’s got a long track record in public service. She knows government,” Collins said of Clinton before the debate started.
The debate was moderated by Fox News Sunday Anchor Chris Wallace.
Many West Virginians said they’ll back Trump because he says he’ll put coal miners back to work. Clinton previously said she would put coal miners and coal companies out of business, but Collins said its the rise of natural gas that will kill coal, not Clinton’s policies.
“She’s not really the one putting people out of work or closing down coal companies. It’s economics,” he said. “Natural gas is just a less expensive fuel and it’s edging out coal.”
Collins said, in previous debates, the candidates focused more on personal attacks rather than real issues facing our nation. He was hoping to hear less of that.
During the final showdown, topics ranged from the economy, the Supreme Court, abortion, Clinton’s emails, Trump sexual assault allegations and more.
Collins told MetroNews that he believes Trump never would’ve made it this far in his campaign if the sexual assault allegations came up last year.
“Imagine in June of 2015 when he announced his candidacy, suppose he was known as the guy who had been accused of a half a dozen sexual assaults and probably had been convicted of a couple of them, he never would’ve made it on the scene,” he said.
Not many people were at Nitro’s theater. Collins said he was expecting more people to come out, being that it was the final debate.
“I was hoping there would be a big crowd here and there would be people shouting and throwing things at the screen, but I guess that’s not going to happen,” he said.
Near the end of the debate, Wallace asked Trump if he would accept the results of the election if he loses. Trump responded, “I will tell you at the time. I will keep you in suspense,” in which Clinton replied, “That’s horrifying.”
Early voting in West Virginia begins Oct. 26.
Election Day is Nov. 8.