Gus Klein strode through the crowd assembled in his New North End front yard Saturday, followed by a bagpiper in a MAGA hat. Klein proudly carried a new Donald Trump sign to a flagpole that had duct tape around it.
The charred, tattered remains of Klein’s original “Trump 2020” flag were still hanging atop the pole. It had been burned one November night by two girls, ages 14 and 15.
Klein attached the desecrated flag’s still-creased replacement to the pole and hoisted it up. Several people who spoke Saturday at Klein’s North Avenue home called that a courageous act of defiance. They said they regarded the vandalism as a demonstration of the intolerance and un-American impulses of Trump’s opponents.
“You know why I call this [event] ‘almost sacred?’” 2018 U.S. Senate candidate Lawrence Zupan asked halfway through an hourlong set of speeches. “Because today is a reaffirmation, a reclaiming and a repossession for Gus and for [his wife] Annmarie, as well as a witness to each and all of us, of their unalienable rights to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, the First Amendment right to free speech, and the sanctity of their private property.”
Zupan was just getting started.
“These are the very rights for which our forefathers pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. And I say Hallelujah! I say Hallelujah! I say Hallelujah!”
The ceremony was made possible by the president’s son Eric, who saw a national news story about the destruction of Klein’s original flag. He tweeted out a promise November 28 to send a new one, then followed it with another tweet to confirm that Klein’s replacement was in the mail.
The flag didn’t arrive. Klein told Seven Days that he suspects porch thieves or someone who saw those tweets “intercepted” it. But the Trump campaign mailed several more flags, plus some T-shirts and drink koozies, Klein said.
“It was perfect,” he said. “There again, they take this opportunity for people like us within the community to send the message out that Donald J. Trump is the man for 2020. Promises made, promises kept, and that’s what it’s always about.”
The event drew roughly 100 people. Many parked at a school across the street.
The ceremony doubled as what Rick Cochran, the GOP committee chair in Caledonia County, called “the official kickoff, if you will, for President Trump’s reelection in Vermont.”
Trump garnered just 30 percent of Vermont’s votes in 2016, a figure Cochran misstated as 33 percent and told the crowd was a “pretty good” showing.
Remarks began with a speaker reading from a letter signed by Trump 2020 campaign manager Brad Parscale and Eric Trump’s wife, senior consultant Lara Trump: “The Trump flag flies high again in Burlington, Vermont, all because of you. But this wasn’t easy. You are gathered here while others resist. You stand shoulder to shoulder together while others obstruct. Above all, you answer vandalism with patriotism.”
Some attendees pushed $20 bills into a plastic jar to get an unofficial T-shirt that depicted the president hugging an American flag. Others signed a petition to be sent to Vermont’s congressional delegation in support of border wall funding.
Just a few speakers invoked Trump’s border wall, and only one, the GOP’s unsuccessful 2018 U.S. House candidate, Anya Tynio, mentioned the ongoing government shutdown prompted by Trump’s wall demand.
Zupan, who received 27 percent of the vote in his 2018 challenge of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), suggested that the flag vandals had been “confused by the voices who deliberately blur the otherwise sharp distinction between legal and illegal immigration” or “persuaded that a president who doesn’t let anybody cross over an unprotected border is a racist or a bigot.”
Another speaker, Republican activist Ellie Martin, criticized the parents of the teen vandals for not forcing their children to apologize to Klein directly.
“And that’s where you see the difference between who we are as patriots, versus the people that do this kind of act,” she said.
Just then, Martin was interrupted by an impeccably timed North Avenue driver who yelled, “Fuck that nigga Trump!” as he passed.
Those in the crowd ignored the shout.
A few minutes later, another driver slowed down in front of the ceremony and honked gently. Those in the crowd first waved, and then groaned as messages painted on the passenger-side windows came into view: “Trump Sucks” and “Racists Go To Hell.” A Burlington police officer stationed across the street stopped the car and spoke briefly with the driver.
The ceremony may not have been entirely about Trump. As the crowd dispersed, Klein told Seven Days he is considering a run for public office himself.
“Burlington City Council needs individuals who are strong willed, strong minded and want to make change in the community and get things done for every member of the community,” Klein said. “Not just a certain party.”
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I bet more than 50% of the snow in that yard is yellow for most of the winter
At this point, with everything we know about Trump these people must be mentally ill/impaired, brainwashed or simply malignant deplorable human beings to continue supporting him. Give it up
There are still Patriots in Vermont. That respect OUR PRESIDENT who can’t be BOUGHT !!!.. What the Kleins did was great… The ones in the cars just show what kind of mentality they have. . . TRUMP 2020 !!!!
Wish we had gone! Hatred is preached against wildly in this state as long as we conform to everyone elses view…Time to stand up and be counted for being an individual!
Those teen girls should be celebrated for their courageous act against this fascist demagogue and all who support him. Ignorance and hatred should be removed from this world and be replaced with love and acceptance, as it says in the bible.
What’s Klein’s big sales pitch for his campaign…a big wall on the Winooski border?
What a stupid celebration! Trump is unbelievably stupid and mentally unstable to be a president. He’s just a whine ass baby and has no idea what it’s like to not have any money from the government shutdown, he’s just a narcissistic liar and a disgrace to the United States! Hopefully all of his supporters will finally see through all of his lies but it’s doubtful. He is not patriotic and only thinks of himself and his crooked family!
I agree w/ Gi Grape above……..the narcissistic moron has no clue; build a wall so they will all go underground; back to the slavery era………(Under Ground Tunnels)…………..Hope we’re all invited to TRUMP TOWERS for a free meal when this economy goes further down the pipes!!!
My, my, my… I knew when I read this article the comments would be fun.
As a comment reads above, “Those teen girls should be celebrated for their courageous act”. Followed by : “Ignorance and hatred should be removed from this world and be replaced with love and acceptance, as it says in the bible.” Those teen girls were showing a form of their hatred were they not? And if ignorance and hatred should be removed from this world, then why in the heck should we be celebrating them? It was the ignorance and hatred that brought us to the Kleins need for a new flag. No matter how you look at it. It was his flag. His pole. And his property. Hate is something that brings you to do such a thing. And the last I knew, hate is hate.
Mr. Klein: Trump is a narcissistic buffoon, an embarrassment and heaven knows what else. But, much to my disappointment, he did win the election under the rules that have made our nation the envy of the world. That said, I totally support your right as a US citizen to express your opinion on your property without having to suffer threats and vandalism from those who are far worse than Trump for they clearly do not understand or appreciate the rights and freedoms we enjoy thanks to people like you who were willing to offer your life to protect us. Thank you for your service.
Here we have the ever tolerant progressives of Vermont defending trespassing, vandalism, and destruction of property. Defending and wishing for more.
“We love everyone, you [ridiculous ad hominem]! We are the voice for the minority communities of this town, you [slightly classsist slur]!”
There is still a thing called freedom of speech in this country- I am tired of the “freedom of speech” as long as you agree with me.
Come on so he has different views than others. That is what America is about.
ConcernedVTer
Freedom of speech doesn’t give you the right of speech to say or express whatever you want consequence free. If Klein wants to hang that flag in his yard, he’s free to do so. Nobody has the right to vandalize it or his property, and the government can’t arrest him for it. That’s what the constitution protects (along with other basic rights).
What the constitution doesn’t do is protect him from criticism or shaming by other members of the community. The people driving by shouting? They were all well within their legal right to do so if they weren’t violating any other laws. The people on here making fun of him? All well within their rights. If his private sector employer (don’t know if he’s employed) doesn’t like the negative PR this story is bringing their business, they’re well within their rights to fire him.
Freedom of speech isn’t carte blanche to say or do whatever you want. People should really brush up on what the constitution actually protects before they start complaining about peoples’ freedoms being upheld. He can exercise his freedom of speech to show that he’s willing to tolerate a racist piece of trash lying about everything he mentions, and we can exercise our freedom of speech to make fun of him.
“That respect OUR PRESIDENT who can’t be BOUGHT !!!..”
Well, except by the Russians.
Yes, call him a racist again. That’ll win over the moderates this time.
Let’s compare him to Hitler some more. That’s not a ridiculous assertion that isn’t disgusting to anyone not steeped in the far left.
Let’s see, two TEENAGERS destroy a flag and this idiot sees it fit to hold an unsanctioned rally in his backyard for the WORST FUCKING PRESIDENT WE HAVE EVER HAD?
Get bent, good sir. Trump has NO real base in VT because 70% of us HATE HIM!
Get used to it, mouth-breathing Trump supporters!
Yes. Two teens were allowed to be in an environment that allows for trespassing and destruction of property if the victim is the wrong person.
The fact that they’re kids doesn’t reflect on them. It reflects on all of you. Your outlandish hyperbole and pure hatred (for what is essentially the 1996 Democrat platform).
You’re losing your goddamned minds.
The ignorant people who have made ignorant comments here should vote for Trump. They have lowered themselves to his level so they are in the same boat. They fail to recognize this man’s constitutional right to free speech and his protection of his property. I didn’t know Trump had so many supporters or Vermonters that could stoop down to Trump level, but hey, you proved me wrong with your comments.
I can say that I know Mr. Zupan. It should come as no surprise that he would support a president who is morally bankrupt, crooked; a cheat, a liar and very possibly a witting Russian asset. Lowrance (formerly known as Hari like Hari Krishna I guess) is a right-wing religious extremist. Hes way to the right of Mike Pence if thats even possible. The only real surprise is how on earth he ever got 27% of the vote; other than a broomstick running as a Republican could get 27% of the vote, i guess.
Democrats are certainly a nasty lot.
Lets see.. one of the hating liberals on here said it was in their right of these teenage girls to go on the Kleins property and destroy things is it within their rights to set fire and could have possibly set the house on fire and having the people inside die.. THATS MURDER IN MY BOOK. So many of you trashing Pres Trump. well, let me tell you.. Vermont used to be a great Republican state, till all you liberals started moving in and taking over. We have a lying crooked socialist nutcase for a Senator whose wife committed bank fraud. She destroyed a college. Yet you all keep kissing his butt. Mr Klein is more an American than any of you liberals in here. You people all should have been working for Hitler, who was a socialist, killed millions and millions of people who didn’t agree with his thinking. Let me say this to all you liberals… BLESS YOU !!!!
“Democrats are certainly a nasty lot.”
Yeah, and the Republican in the White House sure isn’t nasty.
Beware of imitations! The genuine Trump flag has 50 dollar signs and 13 green stripes, one for each time he met with his KGB handler before the 2016 election.
DONNA BOUTIN Anyone who voted for trump or even supports that dictator has to have mental problems with them. He’s unbelievably stupid and is a disgrace to the United States!
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Go on and define how he is a dictator that somehow wouldn’t also be able to fit for the last 20 or so administrations.
Go ahead. I don’t think you’d be ok with calling most of them dictators. I highly doubt you’re some subset of anarchist that defines any state power as an infringement.
Seems like half the state of VT sits home on welfare and disability. The poor people that work for a living have to put up with this leftist crap. Ordering a Trump flag for my house.
Is it commonplace to display a flag representing just the president? I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen one until now.
Obama Hope 3×5 foot flag https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001QA6Z98/ref=c…
USA Obama Democratic National 3×5 Flag Banner indoor/outdoor https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J7GSFHI/ref=c…
And this one might even be worse. At least the Trump flag is original.