A Swing & A Miss For Trump In Colorado
DENVER (CBS4) - It appears Donald Trump still has some work to do in his effort to win over many Colorado conservatives.
"I know the folks from Colorado and they're wild," the presumptive Republican presidential nominee said in a speech to approximately 2,000 people at the annual Western Conservative Summit. It's a group that hasn't fully committed to supporting his campaign.
Some political analysts are calling Donald Trump's speech at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver on Friday a missed opportunity. Many conservatives who attended told CBS4 the event didn't persuade them Trump is the right person to represent their political interests.
"There is still a large body of conservatives who are still skeptical. They still want to know really who he is," said Dick Wadhams, the former head of Colorado's Republican party.
Wadhams has been watching Trump's campaign closely, particularly where it comes to Colorado. Wadhams says some polling that has been done in the state shows voters are divided evenly in their support for Trump and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
"He raised many legitimate issues that are clear differences between him and Hillary Clinton," Wadhams said.
Trump spoke about border control, gun rights, Obamacare and jobs, but Wadhams said he expected more from Trump.
"I think he missed the boat in two things -- putting more substance on those positions and, No. 2, talking specifically about Colorado," he said.
Wadhams says Trump lost ground with his repeated attacks on Colorado's caucus, where he lost all 34 delegates to Ted Cruz. Trump said "the system is rigged against the people."
"When you raise an issue like that not once, but a couple more times in a speech, I think that gives the impression that he cannot get it out of his mind. And I think he's got to," Wadhams said.
RELATED: SWAT Moves In On Trump Protesters, Several Arrested
Trump says he plans to return to campaign in Colorado soon. Several conservatives on Friday told CBS4 the more attention the state gets in the race, the more the presidential candidates will be forced to focus on the needs of Coloradans.
