Protesters: President Trump Is Not Above The Law

Residents supporting the impeachment against the president gathered in Huddy Park in Toms River. (Photo courtesy Christine Luland)

  TOMS RIVER – A group of residents gathered in Huddy Park supporting the impeachment of President Trump.

  This was part of a nationwide protest called “No One Is Above The Law,” mobilized by Moveon.org. Large cities had hundreds turn out.

  Locally, protests were near two members of the House. Andy Kim (D-3rd) voted for impeachment. Signs in Huddy Park near his Toms River office congratulated him on “doing the right thing.” Protestors also went to the office of Chris Smith (R-4th), calling on him to “do his job” and vote for impeachment.

  “The President should be held to the standards and rules set forth in the Constitution,” said Christine Luland, an organizer for the Toms River protest.

  Ocean County is known as being a red county, despite the fact that Democrats have made gains in Toms River and especially Brick. The Toms River group had another reason: to show that the Democrat party in the county can unify and be visible.

Photo courtesy Christine Luland

  On the national stage, the Republicans have painted the Mueller investigation or the impeachment with the same brush: that this is all a political hit job. Since the Democrats have said from the beginning that they want to get rid of Trump, Republicans said this is all a waste of time and money.

  “They haven’t read the news,” she said. “Anyone who read anything about Trump through the years – his bankruptcies, the failed casinos, his real estate deals with the Russians – knew it was just a matter of time before he did something shifty and corrupt.”

  It doesn’t have to be political when the evidence is in plain sight, she said. The president asked the Ukrainian president “Do us a favor, though,” and investigate a rival’s son. (“Do me a favor, though,” is a quote from the White House’s transcription of the phone call.) “However they want to spin it, he specifically asked a foreign government to investigate a political rival for his benefit. It doesn’t get much more blatant and corrupt than that.”

  The rainy day was probably not the best day to be standing outside holding signs, in the dark. And it’s hard to judge how much of an impact the group had on drivers in a conservative-leaning area.

  Luland said she’s starting to see people being worried about our current political climate. That doesn’t necessarily mean that Trump will eventually be charged with crimes, though. There’s still a strong chance that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will protect the president. Earlier that day he told NPR that he’s not impartial, and that none of this is impartial.

Photo courtesy Christine Luland

  If that’s the case, and Trump is still the nominee in 2020, Luland said the Democrats have to focus on voting him out.

Photo courtesy Christine Luland