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Clockwise from top left: Jeff Northrup makes a statement as the lone counter-protester after historic Trump conviction. | Trumpy Bear is the Maricopa Republican Club’s official mascot. | Rich Martin waves the U.S. flag. | These signs are illegal, according to city code enforcers. | Judy Spallino (left) and Mary Virden.
Laura Kozma recasts the U.S. flag with twin rifles, a star-spangled bald eagle, religious and MAGA overtones.
Martin said. “That allowed Hitler to take over Germany and it may allow the kind of loonies that are in the White House now to take over this beautiful country.” The group drew mixed reactions from passersby. “You as a citizen need to show your support, whoever you’re going to support,” Hermanson contended. Maricopa Meadows resident Jeff Northrup took Hermanson’s advice tongue-in-cheek and stood on the opposite side of the street the day a Manhattan jury found Trump guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Instead of advocating any candidate, he wrote “GUILTY” with a fat- ended marker on neon green posterboard and planted it with a Trump- shaped piñata, which was wearing gold Converse sneakers and held a Trump-branded Bible “for sale” — callbacks to the former president’s most recent fundraising stunts. The demonstration went viral on the social networking website Reddit in r/pics, a subreddit with 31 million members, after a user named crumbly_toast posted a picture of the piñata and sign. It was upvoted north of 2,000 times. “I wasn’t ready for the trial to end yesterday, but as soon as it did, I threw together this double-sided sign and came out,” Northrup said. Northrup was slapped with two citations for setting up 25 signs on the same sidewalk April 9, he said. The neon green signs were taped onto stepstools lining the sidewalk, displaying messages like “TRUMP’S CULT...100% BRAINWASHED” and “TRUMP BIBLE/SHOE SALESMAN.” When city code enforcement officers confronted Northrup about the signs violating city statute, he told them, “The only way to resolve this is for you to give me a ticket,” Northrup told InMaricopa . After a few hours, his wish was granted. Next to Northrup’s signature, code enforcement noted “Jeffrey requested to be cited.” Northrup received 18 counts of violating the city’s “general standards” for signs. City prosecutors did not comment about Northrup’s case. Northrup’s court date was June 27. The citation amount at time of publishing was $1,800.
Make Maricopa great again Pro-Trumpers take over the strip, clash with counter-protest
BY BRIAN PETERSHEIM JR.
W
Hermanson said he believes Maricopa is purple but might have “a slight edge to MAGA versus the democrats.” “I think there’s more MAGA people in Maricopa than we could expect,” Hermanson said. “I think a lot of them are silent.” He was flanked by a dozen other supporters of the Republican candidate. Desert Cedars resident Laura Kozma was swagged out in Trump- branded attire. She sported a T-shirt that said, “WE THE PEOPLE are pissed off” on the front. On the back: Trump’s face photoshopped onto Muhammad Ali’s body with the rallying cries, “TRUMP Round 2” and “RETURN OF THE CHAMP.” It’s a play on what is arguably the most famous sports photograph in history, taken after Ali swatted Sonny Liston in the 1965 rematch for the heavyweight title. The fashion statement was paired with red, white and blue shoes, a “Women for Trump” cap and a flag that read “GOD GUNS & TRUMP.” Province residents Judy Spallino and Mary Virden toted American flags and had custody of “Trumpy Bear,” the group’s teddy bear mascot styled with a blonde wig and bushy eyebrows, and a red tie. Rich Martin, also a Province resident, said he thinks silence could bring a dictatorship in the U.S. “Most people are quiet about what they believe, and I think that’s sad,”
HEN DONALD TRUMP BECAME THE FIRST PRESIDENT ever convicted of a crime, all eyes turned to Manhattan. Then, to John Wayne Parkway. The Maricopa Republican Club utilized standstill traffic
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on that road to lobby the support of the community for former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee in November’s general election. They garnered approving honks and friendly waves one recent Saturday as they picketed on the sidewalk, undeterred by the early summer heatwave, in front of CVS. Not without the occasional middle finger, of course. Homestead resident and club president Marty Hermanson hoisted a black flag emblazoned with the calling-card mantras, “TRUMP 2020” and “TAKE AMERICA BACK,” spangled with patriotic splashes of red, white and blue. He said the group demonstrates regularly to “show support” to and “let people know that it is OK to support” Trump. They will turn the heat up when Arizona turns the heat down, demonstrating on that curb weekly starting in September. “People are tired, they want their country back,” Hermanson said, saying he favors Trump’s policies on economy, job performance and global peacetime during his presidency.
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InMaricopa.com | July 2024
July 2024 | InMaricopa.com
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