The window for bids to build President Donald Trump’s border wall has now closed, with hundreds of contractors submitting their own versions of the wall. Many are wanting to keep their intentions private out of fear of retaliation.
About two months ago, Raymond Rojas made a sign in support of President Trump. It reads “Dale gas Trump, vas bien. Give ‘em hell,” which loosely translates to, “Go on Trump, you’re doing well, give ‘em hell.”
"That’s freedom of speech,” Rojas said.
The sign is usually displayed on his property, just off the street and visible to passersby. But when the mood strikes, he takes the sign on the road.
"I voted for Trump and I didn't think he was going to win,” Rojas noted. “I was happy that he made it, and I just wanted people to know how I felt about it."
Along the way, KENS 5 encountered many people turning their heads, reading the sign. It compelled Letty Salmeron to stop and confront Raymond and his wife.
"Who do you want Trump to 'give 'em hell'?" she asked.
"Give hell to all those people that are against his... you know, what he wants to do for the country... and to those who oppose him, to give 'em hell!" he replied
"Well, I guess that makes me one of them," Salmeron said.
The 77-year-old knows that his sign stirs up conversation.
"We've had people just say nasty things,” he recalled. "We've had people who come and ask me if they can take a picture of it."
Supporting President Trump and his policies can draw some backlash, especially in blue regions along the border. It’s one of the reasons why so many companies looking to build the border wall try keeping a low profile.
Vangela Churchill approached Rojas at a parking lot. Like him, she’s one of the few around town who like to display support for Trump. She displays a bumper sticker from the presidential campaign.
“I get flipped off, I get honked at, people cut me off," she said.
She understands why, when it comes to supporting a border wall, many on the border prefer to keep to themselves. Both Rojas and Churchill hope that, with time, people will get used to what they believe is inevitable; the idea of the wall.
"We just have to give [Trump] time," Rojas said.
The retired Edinburg resident plans to keep his sign up for the foreseeable future, but is considering changing the message to something in support of building the border wall.