Pro-Trump LGBTQ group Deplorable Pride held a Trump car parade Saturday in Salisbury, North Carolina, where they appear to have violated an early voting site’s campaign-free buffer zone and, in the case of at least one participant, threatened violence.
Both Salisbury Post editor Josh Bergeron and reporter Michael Eaborn from the newly-launched犀利士
independent outlet The Salisbury Observer were on the ground to cover the event, which saw cars and motorcycles flying Trump 2020, American, thin blue line, and Confederate flags as they rode through the streets of the small town, honking their horns.
— Josh Bergeron (@Joshpberg) October 31, 2020
Eventually the caravan made it to an early voting site, according to Bergeron, where they appeared to circle around the parking lot, close to the building. So close, in fact, they were apparently violating the campaign-free buffer zone, which in North Carolina is typically 50 feet from the entrance to the polling place, prompting Rowan County Board of Elections Director Brenda McCubbins to intervene.
Elections director Brenda McCubbins stepped out to stop further parading in front of polling location. It was within the 50 feet in which campaigning is not allowed.
— Josh Bergeron (@Joshpberg) October 31, 2020
Speaking of illegal activities, one of The Salisbury Observer‘s several Facebook livestreams from the rally showed one of the participants threatening to hit the independent journalist with the pole of her Confederate flag.
“We are live again, about to question that whole cesspool of corona,” Eaborn said in a video that appears to have since been deleted, while approaching some members of the group in the Big Lots parking lot where they met before driving through town and regrouped at the end of their run.
“I’m with the independent newspaper,” he said, announcing himself. “I’m just curious, y’all showed your support today for Donald Trump. Can you tell me a bit more about that?”
“Why do we support him?” the woman asked as she rolled up the flag.
“Because he’s not a socialist and he’s not a racist,” another participant replied.
“Biden is the one that signed the crime bill that locked up, or had many Black people locked up unfairly,” the woman interjected. In reality, that was former President Bill Clinton, although Biden did support it.
“So you guys now care about Black people?” Eaborn asked, prompting upset from the Trump supporter.
“You know nothing about me and you’re saying now I care?” she asked, taking a step forward. “No, no, sweetheart, I had a legal aid organization for 12 years…You need to walk away because you’ve been nothing but rude since you walked up.”
“Nothing but rude? You’re the one coming right at me,” Eaborn responded.
“You come at me saying now you care about Black people, you don’t know a damn thing that I’ve done for Black people my entire life,” the woman continued.
“You better step away from me before you feel this flag,” she adds, as she walks away and places it in the bed of a truck, before giving him the finger.
Deplorable Pride is planning another rally in Mint Hill on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, according to a Facebook event posting.