The current residents of Donald Trump's old campus house are strong supporters of Hillary Clinton.
Credit: Julio SosaFor the residents of 4049 Sansom Street, the presidential election hits especially close to home — their house was once a residence of Republican nominee and 1968 Wharton graduate Donald Trump.
Today, the five-bedroom apartment is home to a group of Penn students, including Engineering junior Bari Gordon and College juniors Naomi Kadish and Hannah Jaffe, all of whom are avid Hillary Clinton supporters.
Jaffe first uncovered the secret past of her apartment last year when Trump’s previous addresses were leaked online and she found hers on the list.
“It’s definitely a funny thing to bring up in conversation when people are talking about him regarding the election,” Jaffe said. “I wonder if there were mice when he lived there, and how much he paid for rent.”
Kadish joked that it was almost impossible to believe Trump really lived in the same house.
“It’s hard to imagine him living here, but he did,” she said. “There was definitely a different atmosphere in the house when he lived there. Probably much more aggressive.”
After their address was released as one of Trump’s past houses, they began receiving all sorts of mail addressed to the Republican nominee — everything from credit card applications in his name to a letter addressed to Trump, simply saying: “Jesus Christ Loves You.”
As a Clinton supporter, Kadish believes the political ideology of the house has taken a turn for the better since Trump lived there.
“It’s a really fun thing to have our house be so pro-Hillary even though [Trump] used to live there,” she said. “I like to think we are a pretty loving and accepting house, so I’m really happy about the change.”
Trump may have been an unusually wealthy Penn student, but for the residents of 4049 Sansom Street, the flamboyant businessman’s time in their apartment is a reminder that the candidate once lived a somewhat ordinary college life.
“I like to think about him walking to class past all the FroGro dumpsters,” Jaffe said.
In preparation for the election, the residents have placed a “Students for Hillary” poster in their front window.
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