Truckers honking in protest of low shipping rates made themselves heard in the White House Rose Garden on Friday during President Trump’s announcement of a team to find a coronavirus vaccine.
The din of horns from trucks parked along nearby Constitution Avenue was clearly audible in the Rose Garden, where the president decided to address “that beautiful sound.”
“Those are truckers that are with us all the way,” Mr. Trump said. “They’re protesting in favor of President Trump, as opposed to against. There’s hundreds of trucks out there.”
He declared, “That’s the sign of love, not the sign of your typical protests. I want to thank our great truckers. They like me, and I like them. We’re working on something together.”
Some on social media accused the president of putting a rosy spin on the protest. The truckers also are seeking government support, saying their industry hasn’t qualified for aid.
The president encountered the protesters two weeks ago, when he was returning to the White House from a televised town-hall at the Lincoln Memorial. He asked Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to speak with some of the truckers at that time, and later pledged his support for their protest.
“I’m with the truckers all the way,” the president tweeted later that night. “Thanks for the meeting at the White House with my representatives from the Administration. It is all going to work out well!”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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