A small group of protesters took to the Ocean City boardwalk on Presidents Day to show their opposition to President Trump.
Presidents Day is a holiday to celebrate America's presidents and everything they've done for the country. However, in Ocean City, a small group of protesters wanted to make it known that they were not celebrating No. 45. Organizers behind the anti-Trump protest knew that they were going to be fighting an uphill battle. Along their 16-block march, the protesters received more jeers than cheers from onlookers. However, they believe that their goal was to reinforce their own beliefs and pick up each other's spirits, rather than trying to sway anyone else's opinions. The protest was billed as "Not My Presidents Day." The group's co-founder, Susan Buyer, hoped that their protest could contrast Donald Trump's presidency with his historic predecessors. "We feel very strongly that the values and beliefs that the 45th president of the United States demonstrates are not what we believe," she explained in an interview with DelmarvaNow.
While Maryland is generally a Democrat stronghold, Donald Trump performed exceptionally well in Worcester County, pulling 62.2 percent of the vote in 2016. That reality was on full display on Monday as off-season visitors and locals alike jeered the protesters as they passed. Chants of "Trump 2020" and the oldie-but-goodie "Boooooo" could be heard as the protesters marched down the boardwalk. The dozens of protesters were easily overshadowed at times by pro-Trump passersby.
The protest did get the attention of two congressional hopefuls -- Allison Galbraith and Michael Pullen, both Democrats hoping to challenge incumbent Congressman Andy Harris in November's midterm election. Democrats are hopeful that high Democratic turnout and Republican apathy could help them flip this seat. Rep. Harris won re-election to represent Maryland's First Congressional District in 2016 with 62.7 percent of the vote.
With the next presidential election less than 1,000 days away, there is no chance that Maryland will be competitive, and Worcester County will likely continue to go red. Although the "Not My Presidents Day" protest was small, attendees are hopeful that they can build on this momentum and gather those in the area who oppose the Trump administration.
