‘Sign holder to Secret Service agent in 60 seconds’

For a brief moment Saturday evening, the nation’s political spotlight turned to the Atwood Grill in Johnston, where Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton made a surprise campaign stop.

But it was eight-year-old Noah Mordado who stole the show.

A crowd began gathering around the restaurant beginning around 6 p.m. that evening as word of Clinton’s supposed stop in town spread.

Young Noah was among them, and was perhaps the most excited person there. He was seen running into and out of the eatery, talking with police officers and officials, before making his way to the small press pool that had gathered outside.

“I want to be in the news,” he exclaimed to the two reporters on scene, stating that he had been “waiting and waiting” and that he “really liked” Hillary Clinton, was excited to meet her, and had even made a sign to show her.

“Where is your sign?” the Sun Rise asked him, to which he replied it was inside and that he would get it if we would take a photo.

He returned moments later with a “Go Hillary” sign containing a small, hand-drawn flag, and posed for his picture. He stayed just long enough to give his name before running off yet again.

Coming from a rally at the Central Falls High School – where she delivered a speech focused on job training, higher wages, equal pay for women, and the state’s economic standing – the former first lady and secretary of state’s stop in Johnston had a lighter tone, as she greeted patrons, posed for pictures, shook hands, and signed autographs.

“It’s great to be back,” said Clinton, who had also stopped at the eatery during her last run for the Oval Office in 2008. “I’d appreciate your support during the primary on Tuesday.”

But it wasn’t long before Noah broke through the throngs of reporters who arrived with Clinton’s convoy, and positioned himself smack dab in front of her path with his little sign.

“I love your sign. Can you get a picture with me?” Clinton said as soon as she saw him. “I’m so honored to have you here supporting me, thank you.”

While Clinton made her rounds through the restaurant with a contingent of high-ranking state and local officials – including Gov. Gina Raimondo, Congressman Jim Langevin, Rep. Stephen Ucci, Mayor Joseph Polisena, Town Council President Robert Russo, and others – Noah kept squeezing through the crowd to get the best placement to see Clinton again and again.

Clinton won the state’s presidential primary eight years ago, receiving 108,949 votes to then-Sen. Barack Obama’s 75,316. She won Johnston that year by a large margin, receiving 5,029 votes to Obama’s 1,540.

This year, facing a strong challenge from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Clinton fell short in the Ocean State. Sanders carried Rhode Island with more than 54 percent of the vote to Clinton’s 43 percent, and bested the former secretary of state in Johnston by a 1,660-1,331 margin.

While Noah lingered near Clinton, local officials spoke of their support for her campaign.

“I thought the visit was fabulous, it was great for the town, and I think that Johnston is Hillary country, it really is,” Polisena said. “The people really love Hillary here. She’s going to make a great president, and we’re looking forward to her becoming our president. I think people want to hear solutions, and I’ve been hearing all solutions coming out of Hillary’s mouth of what she wants to do … If I could vote 10 times, she’d have 10 votes.”

“I thought that Secretary Clinton had an outstanding visit in Rhode Island today. She got the warm reception that I expected she’d get. I know she enjoyed coming back to Rhode Island, and when I greeted her in Central Falls and again here in Johnston I said, ‘Welcome back to Clinton Country,’” Langevin said. “I’m proud of the way that the Democratic candidates have conducted themselves, despite their differences on some of the issues. They have kept it above the fray and have stuck to the issues. On the Republican side, I think it’s brought presidential politics to a new low, not much to be proud of over there on that side.”

“She just has so much energy, and she wants to do so much for the people of the United States, especially people in Rhode Island,” Ucci said. “When you look at the candidates, you can listen to the sound bites, but at the end of the day, if you look at who my constituents are, and if you want to help the average working man and woman, the choice is Hillary Clinton and it’s very easy to support her.”

Added Town Councilman Richard DelFino III: “I think this is fantastic, it’s excellent to have our next president, in my view, come to Johnston and interact with everyone table to table, and take time to talk to people and take pictures. It’s certainly a testament to her character and the public official that she is.”

As Clinton made her way from table to table, Noah still tagged along and at times got even closer than Clinton’s security detail. Eventually, she told Noah to speak with a member of her Secret Service team. There, he was presented with a Secret Service pin and made a member of the Secret Service Junior Staff.

“Well, now you’re official,” Clinton told Noah as she looked as his new pin and encouraged him to follow. Noah beamed.

So enamored was the Clinton campaign with Noah that they made a campaign video of the encounter, which they placed on her official Facebook page.

“Sign holder to Secret Service agent in 60 seconds,” Clinton’s Facebook post read. “Watch Hillary offer eight-year-old Noah a spot on her team.”

Noah took his new duties very seriously.

“She said I could walk with her and see everybody and shake hands and do everything,” said Noah in the video, before returning to “work.”