Gregory Kirsopp was with Trump and team on Day 1

By Ginny Privitar
MILFORD — Gregory Kirsopp wasn't initially a Trump supporter. He liked Ohio Governor John Kasich but voted for Senator Ted Cruz in the primary.
“Although Trump was not my first choice for our Republican Presidential candidate, I was proud to vote for him,” said the 21-year-old Milford resident.
As President Trump reaches his first 100 days' anniversary — he'll actually be in Pennsylvania that day, Saturday, attending a farm show — Kirsopp remains enthusiastic.
"He tried to keep every promise that he made during campaigning," he said. "And I'm excited to see if he's able to do so, and hope he'll be able to steer our country in what I see as the right direction.”
The Milford resident actually got to be with President Trump on his very first day.
“I was lucky enough to receive orange tickets to the Inauguration, the closest standing tickets available to the public," he said. "It was an honor to be present and watch the peaceful transfer of power. I was also fortunate enough to receive tickets to the Freedom Inaugural Ball. The Freedom Ball was an incredible, black tie event. Although not as glamorous as one might think an Inaugural Ball should be, i.e.: the lack of tables and chairs, it was a privilege to watch our President and his wife have their first dance.”
An early interest in politicsKirsopp has a long interest in politics and leadership. His middle school sponsored him for the New York Leadership Conference. But, he noted, "Even as a ninth grader, I got a lot of pushback for my beliefs."
Those conservative beliefs mirrored basic Republican principles, he said.
He also has an interest in music and attended the Professional Performing Arts School as a vocal major. His dad was a voice and music education major at Carnegie Mellon, and his mom majored in pre-law and political science in college. The influence of both can be seen in their son.
Kirsopp’s parents currently work on Broadway, for the play “Wicked.”
By the time he hit sophomore year, his focus switched to politics.
The company manager for "Wicked," Susan Sampliner, told Kirsopp’s parents, "If Greg is interested in politics as a career, I can put you in touch with Amy Porter, the chief of staff for Ed Royce," chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee).
After a phone interview and meeting with Royce, Kirsopp ended up being the youngest intern on Capitol Hill. He did a two-month internship in Royce's office in Washington, D.C.
"That's where it started for me,” Kirsopp said. "I love debating, politics."
He knew he'd done well, and thought, “I think I can do this as a career.”
A contact told him about the Republican Leadership Initiative (RLI). Kirsopp joined, and as a field agent, his job was to reach out to other young Republicans and grow the GOP ranks across New York State.
'They care'His strong leadership was noticed. He was invited to come and consult with President-elect Trump.
"We were talking about education and criminal justice," said Kirsopp. "There were eight or nine young Republicans in the room, me, my girlfriend, Alexa Cardena, and the RLI director from New York, Pierry Benjamin.”
Others in the room included members of the Republican National Committee. Also present were Steve Bannon, the President's chief strategist; Ben Carson, head of Housing and Urban Development; Attorney General Jeff Sessions; and Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the President.
The group talked for about an hour and a half. Kirsopp said it was a huge honor.
"They really wanted our insight," he said. "It was surprising how much they did care."
The group worked closely with the New York State GOP, and Kirsopp got to know some party members very well.
Ultimately those connections would allow Kirsopp and his girlfriend to attend the inauguration and, afterward, an Inaugural Ball.
“We were there for the inauguration," he said. "The ball was the following night. We had a hotel until the next day, but no tickets. I reached out to a friend in NYGOP and he secured us tickets to the Freedom Ball.”
What was the best part?
"If I had to pick it, it was an honor to be at the ball because not a lot of people are able to go," he said. "As an event, what sticks out most was the actual aspect of seeing that many Republicans in a predominately liberal city. There was a sea of 'Make America Great Again' hats. It was memorable to see that — to see that many Republicans walking about proud and honored to be there for the Inauguration."
The only negative was all the protests, especially the violent ones and the storefront looting, Kirsopp said. But he added that he's happy people want to come out and be vocal about their point of view.
Kirsopp was recently hired as director of field operations for the NYS GOP's Manhattan office.
"We'll have to wait and see what he goes through with," he said.
“I want America to stay strong, relevant and see job creation under Trump — or Republican leadership," he said. "The end goal for any leader is job creation and the build-up of America's strength."