The enthusiasm level for Donald Trump in the Mahoning Valley remains high as evidenced by a packed crowd hanging on every word spoken by U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes, the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, as he praised the president and compared Democrats to cockroaches.

Nunes, R-Tulare, Calif., spoke last week to an audience of 560 at a Mahoning County Republican Party dinner at the Maronite Center in Youngstown. This came on the second day of the committee’s impeachment inquiry into Trump.

Before Nunes arrived, I spoke with a number of people at the dinner to get their thoughts on Trump. They were overwhelmingly positive — the president is honest, Democrats are conspiring against and lying about him, and they support Trump more than when he was elected. Several of them told me they are watching the impeachment inquiry and said those criticizing Trump and / or accusing him of committing crimes have an agenda.

There are those who say Trump’s popularity in the Mahoning and Trumbull counties, traditional Democratic strongholds, is declining. I haven’t seen evidence of it. Actually, it seems to be the opposite.

For the second time this year, the Mahoning County Republican Party has had record crowds for its dinners with the keynote speakers connected to Trump.

On April 30, David A. Clarke Jr., a former sheriff of Milwaukee County in Wisconsin and strong Trump supporter, brought in 550 people to the party’s Lincoln Day dinner.

Nunes came in for this dinner — and a high-priced fundraiser for U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Marietta — and topped Clarke’s attendance with 560.

Both spoke of Trump as someone fighting for the people who’s had to endure hardships never before experienced by a president.

Clarke said: “No president in the history of this country has had this sort of resistance to try to denormalize him, try to delegitimize his presidency.”

Nunes said: “To be president and be what he’s been through for the last three years, it’s really astonishing that he’s still able to get up every day and willing to fight these guys and send tweets out that he’s willing to do it. It’s amazing.”

Nunes added: “There’s probably only two people in the United States that want to see accountability. The two people in the United States and one of them is here tonight (meaning himself) who wants to see accountability. The other is in Washington (meaning Trump). Jim (Jordan, R-Urbana) might be third.”

Nunes questioned the integrity of the Department of Justice, the FBI and the State Department. He criticized the media as working with Democrats and said, “There is no media anymore, very little, where you can get the truth.”

As for Democrats, he said, “I will give the left credit. Well, I’ll put it to you this way, you guys all now that there’s one thing that doesn’t die, one animal that doesn’t die, in a nuclear fallout, right? Cockroaches.”

The audience loved every minute of it, which should greatly concern Democrats in this area who are waiting for a presidential candidate to emerge from the crowded field and energize the base.

The party’s fundraising dinners years ago used to get about 200 people for a major speaker.

(There are a few longtime local Republicans who have privately told me they are concerned about some of the people Trump has brought to the party. But they don’t want to go public fearing it will hurt the party and their standing in it.)

In the 2016 election, Trump won Trumbull County with 50.7 percent to 44.5 percent for Democrat Hillary Clinton.

In Mahoning County, Trump received 46.6 percent to 49.9 percent for Clinton.

It was the best a Republican presidential candidate has done since Richard Nixon during his 1972 re-election.

It’s not a reach to think Trump can do even better next year, even if the House votes for impeachment.

Nunes said of impeachment: “I think it helps him win.” The crowd erupted in applause.

Skolnick covers politics for the Tribune Chronicle and The Vindicator.

dskolnick@tribtoday.com