Trump's Presence in Hartford Draws Lovers and Haters To The Sidewalk - And Even Some Out Of The Closet

HARTFORD, CT - They came with signs.

They came in costume.

They came out of the closet.

And they came to the Connecticut Convention Center because Donald Trump came himself.

Trump, the flamboyant businessman-turned Republican presidential candidate, was inside the building on Friday for a campaign rally in anticipation of the state's April 26 primary. Others packed the sidewalks around the Convention Center to speak their minds about the candidate whose reputation is, well, speaking his mind.

That is what Gina-Marie Lane of Windsor Locks said she likes about Trump.

"He says what needs to be said about terrorism and I believe he would not be afraid to act if something happens on this soil," she said.

Lane was walking to dinner before attending the rally and said she is one of those Trump voters slowly coming out.

"I am a closet Trump fan and believe there are more of us out there than those who admit it - especially in a blue state," Lane said. "There are some things I agree with him about, like his support of veterans and things I respectfully disagree with - I am pro-choice and not religious."

Just after she walked to dinner, a man began running through the crowd in yellow fruit suit proclaiming he was "bananas" for Trump.

He actually stopped to discuss differences with a man in a Nazi brown shirt with a Trump mask on. A Hitler mustache was drawn onto the mask.

The man in the mask would not be swayed from his disdain for Trump.

"I had the mask from Halloween but drew the mustache in just today," said the man, who claimed to be from Connecticut but would not give his name.

He said Trump is intolerant.

"I am against bigots of all kinds," the man in the mask said. "When I made the swastika today I felt strange. I actually felt the hate and it was terrible."

Madeleine Adam-Kearns of Eastford had a little creativity of her own on display, a hand-drawn placard depicting a crying Statue of Liberty and the saying, "Please, not Trump."

"He is not suited to serve as president and besides I do not think he will win," she said.

Two Republican players in the state chose to sit it out.

State Sen. Tony Guglielmo (R-Stafford) said he had "local matters" to attend to.

"I was a Jeb Bush guy, so my guy was out a long time ago," he said.

He said Trump has crossed into a new frontier.

"Trump has injected a new kind of enthusiasm - totally new territory that has opened a door for people who traditionally have not voted," he said. "The negative stuff? Adams and Jefferson were similar - and that was before Tweets. In a way this is good stuff because we want people involved."

Greenwich House member Fred Camillo said he was "staying put" when asked early Friday if he were making the trip to Hartford.

"While I am supporting John Kasich, I do pay close attention to what the other candidates are saying," Camillo said. "Regarding Trump, I would like to see more substance and detail behind the ideas he expresses. When he starts to do that, I think that will only help his cause."

One of those on the sidewalk on Friday, Deirdre Harwood, said her cause was lost.

"I was actually considering voting for Trump when he first announced, but then he opened his mouth," she said. "That was it for me."