Former Trump Delegates Say They’re Sticking With Their Candidate

Maria Hough (left) and Stella Kozanecki pose at the 2016 Republican National Convention, where the two served as delegates for Donald Trump. They say their support for their candidate has not wavered after the release of a video in which Trump made vulgar comments about women.
Maria Hough (left) and Stella Kozanecki pose at the 2016 Republican National Convention, where the two served as delegates for Donald Trump. They say their support for their candidate has not wavered after the release of a video in which Trump made vulgar comments about women. Lauren Chooljian / WBEZ
Maria Hough (left) and Stella Kozanecki pose at the 2016 Republican National Convention, where the two served as delegates for Donald Trump. They say their support for their candidate has not wavered after the release of a video in which Trump made vulgar comments about women.
Maria Hough (left) and Stella Kozanecki pose at the 2016 Republican National Convention, where the two served as delegates for Donald Trump. They say their support for their candidate has not wavered after the release of a video in which Trump made vulgar comments about women. Lauren Chooljian / WBEZ

Former Trump Delegates Say They’re Sticking With Their Candidate

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Some former Illinois delegates for Donald Trump say they’re still supporting the Republican presidential candidate after the release of a vulgar video Friday.

Illinois delegates Maria Hough, Lanna Logan and Stella Kozanecki all bunked up together in July at the Republican National Convention in a tiny hotel room to save some money. They had never met before the Cleveland trip. They are different ages and they come from different parts of the state, but they said Trump united them.

Across the country, Republicans are divided over the release of a 2005 video in which Trump makes crude remarks about trying to kiss and grope women.

WBEZ checked in with the three Illinois ladies Monday to see if their opinion had changed, and they all said they are still backing him.

“I think, ‘Oh my gosh, that is such a bunch of crap,’” Hough said of the controversy. “It was such a little tiny thing, you know? And that’s what I’ve been telling people—jump off your pedestal—because have you ever told a dirty joke? Or listened to a dirty joke? It was no more than a little joke!”

Hough said she doesn’t buy the argument that women, including Republican women, are uncomfortable and offended by Trump’s remarks in the video.

“Those women who are saying that. I mean, let’s really look at those women. Who are they? Are they normally everyday people? Or are they anti-Trump people in the first place,” Hough said.

Kozanecki, the oldest of the three former RNC roommates, said she remembers getting hit on all the time at work, adding she doesn’t know any attractive woman who has not experience similar behavior.

“I know that’s the way the male mind thinks. You know, they just, that’s the nature of the beast. They’re attracted to fairly good looking women. I wouldn’t say I’m a knockout,” she said.

Yet, Kozanecki added, this doesn’t mean she was happy to hear what Trump had said in the 2005 video.

“And I would imagine that there would be more that comes out, probably [by] women who have had things said to [them] by Donald Trump,” she said. “This won’t be the last time we hear this about him. But as far as I’m concerned, it’s old news and it’s no news.”

As for Logan, the third roommate, she seemed to have had the most difficult time with the video out of all three women. But as a Christian woman, she said she forgives Trump and the country needs his leadership.

“He’s a changed man from 11 years ago,” she said. “He made a mistake. I forgive him and, as Christians, we are to forgive.”

Lauren Chooljian covers city politics for WBEZ. Follow her @laurenchooljian.