CROYDON — Don Clifford, a self-described “lifelong Republican” who voted for Joe Biden in November, said he “felt kind of empty” when he heard reports about the mob storming the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.
But he wasn’t surprised. Clifford said the rhetoric of President Donald Trump, who spread baseless conspiracy theories about his loss to former Vice President Joe Biden, combined with a large crowd loyal to those ideas, always risked of getting out of hand.
What caught Clifford off guard, however, was just how easily the protesters overtook Capitol Police, forcing lawmakers into hiding and resulting in the deaths of at least four people.
“I almost never watch the news, but when I got home last night, I said to my wife, ‘I think we better. This is historic,’ ” Clifford, a Newport, N.H., resident, said while grabbing lunch at the Coniston General Store in Croydon.
The towns of Newport and Croydon both supported Trump over Biden in November, and like others who visited the general store along Route 10 around lunchtime Thursday, Clifford said he was dismayed to see footage of people breaking into offices, ransacking desks and fighting police.
What worried him just as much was how those actions reflect American politics, and what that could mean for the next four years as the nation remains divided.
“This country has to be brought together. I’m hoping Joe Biden’s the man (for the job),” said Clifford, who said he was put off by Trump’s “constant lying.”
“I wasn’t brought up that way,” he said of Trump.
Grantham resident Thomas Metzler said he had mixed feelings about the day’s events. He supported Trump in November but doesn’t agree with those who would use violence to further their political aims.
“I’m just saddened by the whole thing. It was a dark day for the country,” Metzler said.
“I think at this point, it’s good for a change,” he added. “Even though I like Trump, it’s probably good that he’s going now, and maybe it will bring some peace to the country.”
But Metzler worried that the Biden administration won’t deliver on all its promises. He said he’s concerned that the president-elect will make the country “more socialist,” bring about higher taxes and result in a nationwide shutdown to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
Like many of the customers visiting the general store, Metzler wasn’t wearing a mask, despite COVID-19 protocols and a statewide mandate.
“The economy needs to be open,” he said. “I mean, I’m a really at-risk guy and I’m not afraid of going outside without a mask or anything.”
Meanwhile, Croydon resident Joe Beaulieu said he worries the economy will crash under a Democrat-led government. But, he said, that doesn’t make Wednesday’s unrest any less shocking.
“How were they able to get in there first of all?” he asked of the mob that broke into the Capitol. “To me, that’s crazy they don’t have more staff capable of doing something.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Thursday that Paul D. Irving, the House sergeant at arms, will resign from his post as a result of the incident. Steven Sund, chief of the Capitol Police, also stepped down after initially defending his department’s response. Meanwhile, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he intends to fire Michael C. Stenger, the Senate sergeant at arms, when the Democrats take the majority later this month.
Beaulieu, who said he voted Republican in the November election, added that he isn’t fully comfortable with the Electoral College results, in which Biden defeated Trump, 306-232. And he was particularly troubled by Congress’ certification without a deeper investigation into Trump’s claims of voter fraud.
Dozens of courts, elections officials and security experts have rejected the assertions of Trump and his allies, which have had little if any evidence to back them up.
“Do I agree with how everything went down right from the get-go? Absolutely not,” Beaulieu said. “But I don’t think it should have went the way it did yesterday.”
Chris Gardner, who also lives in Croydon and voted for Trump, said he doesn’t believe Democrats are “letting the Constitution play out.”
“I wish they had let it run its course,” he said, referring to the certification process, which ended without some Republicans’ demands for an emergency 10-day audit.
“I think it’s too bad that everybody just rolled,” Gardner said. “They want to hide whatever, forget there was any contention over the elections.”
Still, Gardner said, he’s worried that the violence in the nation’s capital will lead to more “breakouts” in the coming years.
“I think a large part of the population feels ostracized, and I worry about possible civil war. I think some are ready,” he said.
Tim Camerato can be reached at tcamerato@vnews.com or 603-727-3223.