Eli Witherby, a 20-year-old valet in Philadelphia, cast his ballot for former President Donald Trump, while his girlfriend cast hers for Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Everyone’s entitled to their own opinions,” Witherby said. “At the end of the day, I’m gonna stick to my guns.”
Two rowers, they met through mutual friends, and while they don’t talk politics too much, Witherby said they respect each other’s different views.
“I love her very much. We’re a great couple. We don’t necessarily get into politics too much. We do know where each other stands. But it’s um, it’s interesting,” Witherby said.
Witherby said Harris “wouldn’t be nominated for the presidential race if she was an idiot.”
“She’s a smart woman. She’s very intelligent woman, but I believe that we need someone else who’s smarter, intelligent, who’s done it before,” he told CNN.
One factor motivating Witherby to support Trump is the economy. “Everything was cheaper,” he said, referencing in particular the price of gasoline.
Witherby, who lives in Philadelphia but is originally from Oklahoma, sees Democrats as “very polarizing” and didn’t appreciate President Joe Biden’s “garbage” gaffe.
Witherby said he’s over the name-calling on both sides and that he was encouraged by the vice presidential debate between Sen. JD Vance and Gov. Tim Walz.
“The vice presidential debate was a breath of fresh air,” he said. “It gave me confidence for the future, if we had those two running for the presidency, that it would be, you know, I don’t have to worry about someone’s character being insulted on national television.”
