TOMS RIVER – The Trump Train had a stop in Ocean County. Many were ready to roll in support of Donald Trump as part of a car parade which launched from the parking lot of the BJ’s store in the township through Route 37 east.
It was similar to the huge boat parade that was held on Labor Day weekend supporting the president’s reelection bid and in support of law enforcement that filled Barnegat Bay. Instead of boats, it was cars, and the parking lot of BJ’s resembled a sea of red, white and blue as well as some pink Women of Trump flags as vehicles of all shapes, sizes and models and a number of motorcycles lined up for a mobile rally.
There were a number of vendors hawking Trump banners, flags, T-shirts, stickers and all manner of Trump merchandise.
Toninn Comello of Jackson organized the event which was a bit of a sequel to the prior week’s Monmouth County Trump Road Rally which featured a large vehicle parade of cars decorated with flags, banners, Trump faces and other items.
“This is a continuation of that parade. I did that one as well. Last week we had 500 vehicles and it looks like we have 600 vehicles. We are going down 37 east going over the bridge into Seaside then back and down to Fischer Boulevard going all the way up to Hooper Avenue and then to Route 70.”
The Vunic family from the Forked River section of Lacey were certainly prepared for the event. “We are here to support our police officers, Trump and our country. That is why we are here today,” Vanessa Vunic said donning her patriotic flag pants and joined by her husband and her 3-year-old daughter Melania. Their vehicle was decorated in flags and banners.
Awaiting the start of the road rally parade were Donna Rausa of Whiting and Arlene D’Ambrosia of Toms River holding their Blue Line American flags in support of police.
“I am of a one-track mind in that I do not listen at all to the Democrats, liberal adversaries because they sing and scream the same information. This is a shot in the arm and feeds our brain and our hearts like nothing else can,” Rausa said.
The ladies learned about the page from a pro-Trump/Law Enforcement/Veterans Facebook page.
“I am 73 years old, this has been the best president who has done the most for the American people that I have seen in my lifetime and I was a big fan of Ronald Regan but Trump seems to have a lot of hutzpah and he doesn’t care what is politically correct. He just cares about people,” Lynn Earhart of Freehold Borough said. She sported a shirt which she first wore during the 2016 election and updated with a sticker replacing that year with 2020. She held up a sign she made that stated “Seniors For Trump.” The vehicle she rode in featured a Trump bear.
“There has to be 500 or a thousand people here today,” John Longo of Beachwood said. He noted that the crowd at this event dwarfed the turnout of the Biden rally of last week and the one held earlier in the day in South Toms River.
Helena Cohen who is currently living in Manchester not only donned a red Trump cap and shirt but wore a button featuring Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. Her SUV had a flag with a Confederate flag configuration that bore a rifle that states “Come Take It From Us” in the front of her vehicle and another Trump flag flying from the back.
She said Trump’s actions have been good for her family. “I don’t know him personally but he works from the soul. He has helped me so much for someone I’ve never met.” She said while some may feel the president doesn’t receive a lot of support from those of the African American community such as herself, “President Trump doesn’t have a racist bone in his body.”
She said financial programs initiated by Trump served to help her pay her mortgage and said the president was on her Facebook page and assisted with her husband’s medical bills through a veteran’s program.
Supporters were also lined up at various areas along Route 37 and Hooper Avenue to cheer on the parade and many had their own flags, banners and sported similar Trump shirts and waved Blue Line flags at their cheering positions.
