Elk Grove Sikh Wants To Show All Donald Trump Supporters Don't Look The Same
ELK GROVE (CBS13) — An Elk Grove man from the Sikh community is speaking out about his support of the new President-Elect, Donald Trump. And he wants everyone to know that all Trump supporters, don't fit into one category and don't all look the same.
"One of the reasons people want to come here is the freedom," said Inderjit Kallirai.
Originally from India, Kallirai has lived in California for more than 20 years. He's an active part of the local Sikh community and a proud supporter of Donald Trump.
"In all honesty, not at the beginning," he told CBS 13, about his support of Trump. "In all honesty, not even halfway."
But as the election drew closer, he felt Trump was the only candidate ready fight for small businesses, create jobs, and fix the immigration process once and for all. Even after making comments about Latinos, Muslims and women, Kallirai said he still believes Trump can turn the country in the right direction.
"Yes, he made some verbal blunders," Kallirai said. "But the issues that we as a nation faced and that we will talk about in our privacy, he was bringing them out."
Kallirai and his friend Gur Iqbal Kang met Trump during his visit to Sacramento earlier this year.
"His policy is the best, economy-wise, job -wise and immigration-wise." Kang said.
The friends and their families supported Trump - but say some in their community preferred to do it in private. And they weren't the only minority group to show Trump support on Election Day. According to the Pew Research Center's analysis, Trump received 8% percent of the black vote and 29% of the Latino vote, which is 2 percentage points higher than Mitt Romney got back in 2012.
But Kang said just because he helped put Trump in office, doesn't mean he won't hold him accountable while in the White House.
"There's a way to do it, and I believe in him," Kang said. "See what he does," "And if he don't do anything, I stand up with the protestors. I go protest against him!"
Kallirai said he understands that some people feel the need the protest and it's fine to disagree. Still, he believes Americans need to come back together because after all we are still one nation.