In Kellyanne Conway's hometown, here's what the locals thought of Trump's speech

Conway, who grew up in Atco, N.J., is counselor to the president.

WATERFORD -- The morning coffee crowd began to roll in shortly after 8 a.m. Wednesday. 

Lorie Toussaint, the owner of the Atco Diner on the White Horse Pike -- hometown of Kellyanne Conway, counselor to President Donald Trump  -- said many of the locals may have been delayed at church.

"It's Ash Wednesday," she said, pointing to the cross made from black ashes on her forehead.

Sure enough, one patron after another began to file in, many with black ash on their foreheads. They ordered coffee, eggs sunny side up with strips of bacon and other items up and down the menu and virtually all of them had an opinion about Trump and his first address to Congress on Tuesday night.

"I thought it was one of his greatest speeches," said Pat Petta, 80, a retired highway construction worker from nearby Winslow. "Everybody, I think, liked what he said. Except the Democrats," he said with a chuckle.

Waterford, a town of roughly 10,000, is one of only three municipalities in staunchly Democratic Camden County with a majority of votes cast for Trump in the general election. Trump tallied 2,968 votes to 2,007 for Hillary Clinton. Locals at the Atco Diner on Wednesday concluded it may have something to do with the rural nature of the township on the edge of the Pine Barrens -- and not necessarily because one of his top strategists, Conway, grew up here. 

"This man is our president," said Gabriel Cimino, 76, a retired construction worker. "Give 'em a shot."

Joel Thompson, 35, a minister from Upper Darby, Pa. was in town Wednesday to do the final inspection on a home he and his wife are buying here. He stopped into the diner for a cup of coffee but left with more insight into the town.

"There's definitely a split," Thompson said of the political climate in town. "The people are either very pleased or very concerned. There's not a whole lot of middle ground people."

Jeff Merkel, 68, a retired carpenter from the Atco section of the township, said he thinks Trump may not finish his first term.

"I give him about two years before he just quits," said Merkel, a Vietnam War veteran. "Between what our country put up for election this year, it's pretty bad."

"I don't think anybody here gave him the benefit of the doubt just because of Kellyanne," Toussaint chimed in. "Kellyanne is a person who grew up in town, a lovely, lovely lady. I don't think anybody supported Trump because of Kellyanne. You either like him or you don't."