In new incidents of Donald Trump fans blocking traffic, New Jersey and New York were the scenes of MAGA caravans demonstrating support for the president and causing delays for irritated drivers.
One occurred Sunday on the Garden State Parkway near Lakewood, NJ. Local news reports note that there were at least a couple hundred vehicles involved.
Supporters were also spotted in New York on the Mario Cuomo Bridge Sunday afternoon.
New York State Sen. David Carlucci, who represents the area around the bridge, said state police should charge the caravan participants for “aggressive, dangerous and reckless behavior.”
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“We all have the right to show support for a presidential candidate, but we do not have the right to endanger others and break the law,” Carlucci told CNN.
The New York and New Jersey incidents follow a moment in Texas Friday, when a “Trump train” of at least 100 supporters in trucks outfitted with MAGA flags surrounded a Biden-Harris campaign bus traveling to Austin from San Antonio. That occurrence led to three Biden campaign events in Texas being canceled due to safety concerns.
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Responding to the Texas harassment, former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, condemned it, saying, “We are so much better than this. It’s not who we are. And we got to change it.”
Both incidents come just days ahead of the 2020 presidential election. Public safety experts are warning of the unprecedented potential of violence.
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Stores in Washington, D.C. and Beverly Hills, California have boarded their display windows in advance of Tuesday’s contest. And the state of Texas is deploying 1,000 members of the National Guard.
“It’s fair to say the police are preparing in ways they never would have had to for Election Day,” Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, a Washington-based think tank, told Time magazine. “This year is unlike any other year.”
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Experts cite the ongoing stress of the coronavirus pandemic, heightened racial unrest and the rise of right-wing extremist groups as potential causes for possible violence.
Additionally, the rhetoric of President Trump has been faulted for riling up his supporters. He refuses to forcefully condemn violence and white supremacy.
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