Is Trump’s America Ready to Come Out of the Closet?

There is a small but discernable wave of calm building in pro-Trump country regarding the election. Nervous Nellies have put a hold on the Xanax – at least for the time being – and a quiet resolve is poking its head out of months-long confinement. Still, a long summer of violence and civil unrest has frayed the nerves of the president's supporters. Frustrated over depictions of Trump as evil and racist, the Trumpists have nevertheless largely remained silent in the face of negative press from the leftist media. However, one wonders if a dust-up in the Chicago suburb of Northbrook on Friday, September 25, might serve as the leading edge of a national movement with Trump people exiting their closets to voice their discontent.

A Child Shall Lead Them

Glenbrook North High School student Peter Christos called for a "Power to the People" rally in support of the president after being pushed around by protesters. The high school junior told the local newspaper Patch, "I think that if one group of people can share their opinions in Northbrook, us conservatives can have the right to do so as well," Christos said. "We were attacked last weekend and it really shows how tolerant the 'left' was." Moreover, Patch reported that a video of the altercation was removed from YouTube:

"In the short video from last weekend's rally, shared with Patch, a man is seen grabbing a "Trump 2020" flag from Christos and his group with some pushing and shoving happening between the involved parties. According to eyewitnesses, the man pulled up in his car, got out and approached the group. The video originally accompanied this story, but was flagged by YouTube for violating Community Guidelines and was removed by YouTube" [emphasis included in the original article].

The attack, coupled with the silencing from the big tech platform, led Christos to rally those who support the president. The young man said he expected 15 people to answer his call and was surprised when 50 came out. Thus, the verbal battle in a suburban street engaged Friday night with anti-Trump citizens, who were outnumbered by the high school junior's pro-Trump crowd. Hoots and chants occurred, but there was no violence, amid a "heavy police presence."

Still, the pro-Trumpers – a decidedly younger group than the anti-Trumpers – showed up with fire in their bellies, flags, and signs. They were greeted with car horns signaling approval and thumbs up from passersby. But the folks on the other side of the street were standing their ground. At issue is a sign nicknamed the "Coronavirus Death Scoreboard" placed in the Village of Northbrook blaming the president for the deaths that have occurred because of COVID-19. A leftist organization, called "Peaceful Communities" led by activist Lee Goodman is responsible for placing the sign in the Illinois suburb. Despite blowback from many residents calling for the incendiary poster to be removed, lawyers for the neighborhood have permitted it to remain. Exasperated over its presence in their community, one Northbrook inhabitant told Fox: "Over 200,000 people have died. ... Every death loss is terrible, but it isn't the president's fault. They will not acknowledge that it came from Wuhan, China. They're not telling the truth." Another man, Richard, who identified himself as a Trump supporter, was quoted as saying: "They've been sitting here now for the last hour swearing at us, giving us the finger, calling the president a racist. When I went over there to ask them how he's a racist, they have no answers - they just repeat what they hear on MSNBC, CNN, and all the liberal networks. They have a blind hatred for the president – and no answers to why." Yet another fan of the president spoke of "closet Trumpers that are finally coming out of the closet" because they're "tired of a spin that's not true." Ultimately, this incident in the 'burbs of Illinois could merely be a minor dust-up and nothing more. But one wonders if the boldness of a high school student will cause other Trumpists to follow suit and emerge from their closets after simmering with frustration for so long. As election day draws nigh, will they spill into the streets to voice their opposition to the drumbeat of anti-Trump rhetoric, or will they continue to sit and suffer in silence and let their vote have the last word on November 3? ~ Read more from Leesa K. Donner.