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President Donald Trump’s visit to Austin this past Sunday encountered a mix of supporters and protesters as his motorcade made its way through downtown. The dominant voice of the crowd consisted of those opposed, reports the Statesman.

Despite the state’s predominant right lean, the city of Austin tends towards the left. Still, the president’s supporters made their way towards downtown to show support as he rolled past. Signs, flags, and shirts all featured the oft-quoted slogan of the Trump campaign, “Make America Great Again.”

Across the political divide present at the intersection of Red River St, largely retained on the sidewalks of Cesar Chavez St, jeered the protesters.

The scene stands as a microcosm of the broader conflict dividing the nation on President Trump.

Mike Demarsh, one of the protesters, spoke with the Statesman, saying, “I’m going to stand out here and watch the Trump people because they’re the most interesting crowd. But is this going to change their mind? No. They’re set in their ways.”

The same sentiment appears ubiquitous among the American public – everyone is galvanized, no one’s changing their mind.

Trump Policy Does Little to Change Minds

Even as the impeachment trial begins in the senate, little movement appears in polling numbers. The percentage of those disapproving and those approving appears locked.

The nature of his visit centered around farmers, as he attended the annual convention of the American Farm Bureau Federation. His speech boasted a recent trade deal, as well as his approval rating among farmers.

A Wall Street Journal poll showed an approval rating of 83 percent among the farming population. “Who the hell is the 17 percent,” Trump questioned.

His trade deal follows a tense period between the United States and China that saw each country imposing harsher tariffs in a tit for tat manner. While Trump boasts of mending the trade relationship between the two nations, critics argue the deal merely returns trade to pre-trade war numbers.

Additionally, they argue the mandated amounts of goods China must purchase stifles free trade, a concept generally guiding Republican policy.

However, none of this analysis seems to move anyone out of one camp and into another.