John and Michelle Sousa joined several thousand other supporters in the picturesque resort town of Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, along Lake Winnipesaukee last month for one of former President Donald Trump’s signature rallies.

“I’m going to be honest with you, I wasn’t political until Trump ran for office,” John said.

Michelle agreed, adding that Trump is “the first president that I feel has respect around the world.”

What You Need To Know

  • As Republican presidential hopefuls meet Wednesday to debate in Miami, frontrunner Donald Trump is once again skipping the event

  • Despite the former president skipping debates and fighting multiple criminal cases in court, his supporters remain firmly behind him

  • At a recent campaign rally in New Hampshire, Spectrum News spoke with multiple Trump fans to learn why they continue to stand by him

  • Although he faces 91 felony charges in four different cases, Trump remains the clear frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination

Despite the fact that Trump is now facing 91 criminal charges in four cases, the supporters Spectrum News spoke with in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, said they could care less. And when you bring up Trump’s 2020 election loss to Joe Biden, many still echo the former president's baseless claims that it was stolen from him.

“He says a lot of things people don’t like, but he’s telling you the truth. That’s what it’s all about,” said Marie Freudenberg, a New Hampshire voter who was waiting in line outside the event.

A bit further back in line, Kim Gero spoke glowingly of Trump.

“When he was president, our country did a complete 180," she said. "It reminded me of the days when [Ronald] Reagan was president."

When the Republican presidential candidates debate on Wednesday in Miami, Florida, their third so far this year, Trump will once again be a no show. Instead, the former president will be holding a rally less than an hour away.

Trump’s decision to steer clear of the debates has not dented his popularity with Republicans – he remains the overwhelming favorite for the 2024 GOP nomination. He argues he shouldn’t have to participate in debates because he remains ahead by double digits in the polls.

In Wolfeboro, Trump supporters weren’t necessarily critical of his opponents.

A Trump backer named David, who declined to give his last name, said of Ohio entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy that "he's about as close to Trump as you’re gonna get without being him."

Gero, who likened Trump to former President Reagan, mentioned she likes Ramaswamy and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and "would consider them in the future," she still believes it's "Trump's turn."

Every Trump rally attendee Spectrum News spoke with insisted the former president remains their only option in 2024.

“I don’t have anything bad to say about [the other candidates]. I kind of like them. But he’s still a lot stronger,” Freudenberg said.

Strength is something many Trump fans brought up, specifically when asked about the dozens of felony charges the former president now faces. In their eyes, Trump is a fighter pushing back on unfair attacks, no matter the evidence.

“It’s a bunch of crap,” said David.

Another David in line, David Marshall, felt similarly.

“They are just a Democrat and media scam, really. I don’t think that any of them are valid,” Marshall said of Trump’s legal troubles.

John Sousa, who stood in line with his wife Michelle, argued “the fact that they waited three years to do it now, just so he can’t run, shows that it’s all staged.”

Gero pointed the finger at Democrats, despite the fact that political leaders are not involved in the sweeping investigations.

“I think it is all manufactured by the Democrats,” she claimed. “They are doing this to keep him in court, to give him a bad reputation. Because they know he will win in a landslide if he didn’t have all of these legal issues.”

As Trump presses on acting like the presumptive GOP nominee, his supporters are reinforcing it.