The evening before his inauguration, President Trump took time to meet with a 24-year-old Fed-Ex courier from rural Illinois. In a tent behind the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, the soon-to-be president praised Shane Bouvet for his work as a volunteer on his campaign, hugged him and then promised him an extraordinary thank you: a $10,000 check.
The unusual meeting was arranged after Trump said he read a profile about Bouvet in The Washington Post. The struggling single father had spent nights working and days volunteering for Trump, who Bouvet hoped could bring renewal to his hometown of Stonington, Illinois, and other corners hit by the decline in U.S. industry.
On Monday, the check arrived in the mail.
“Shane – You are a great guy – thanks for all of your help,” a note from Trump on presidential stationery read.
Bouvet was in disbelief at his good fortune.
“I’m still just living in a dream,” Bouvet said. “I never thought in a million years this would happen.”
Bouvet said he planned to use the money to pay for chemotherapy for his father, who he said is suffering from bladder cancer.
So is Trump living up to Bouvet’s hopes? So far, yes. Bouvet said he was impressed with Trump’s quick moves to implement his agenda in his first week in office.
“He’s getting things done,” Bouvet said. “He’s laying down the law. I’m really blessed with that – that’s what we need. Most politicians are all talk, no action.”
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