Authorities in a Somerset County town have imposed strict new parking rules on a street, angering supporters of former President Donald Trump who say it will make it more difficult for them to hold political rallies near his golf club.
The all-Republican Bedminster Township Committee voted unanimously to amend a traffic ordinance banning parking on Clucas Brook Road at its Aug. 19 meeting. They said they changed the parking rules on the street, which is near the town library, for safety and noise reasons.
The former president’s golf club, Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, is about four miles from Clucas Brook Road. Trump and his family have residences at the club, where they often stay for weeks at a time and hold events.
The library grounds have been used for years as an approved site for rallies in support of or against Trump, as the areas near the golf club are closed off.
The rallies often include people honking in their cars, waving flags and chanting slogans.
The new parking restrictions come as another major political event is set to take place in the community soon. Trump National Golf Club is scheduled to host a “J6 Awards Gala” featuring former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani to “pay tribute” to those accused of the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Trump is not expected to attend the fundraiser.
The clubhouse of the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster.NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Before the town committee voted on the new parking restrictions earlier this month, a dozen people spoke at the public hearing.
Two Bedminster residents spoke in favor of the ordinance and another asked the committee for additional parking suggestions.
However, most of the other speakers lived outside Bedminster and opposed the ordinance because they believed it would make parking more difficult during rallies in support of Trump.
“I can’t drive two hours and then not have a parking spot on a public street,” said a resident of Waretown, Ocean County, during his public comment period.
The meeting became tense at one point when the Waretown resident told a local resident, an Asian man who had spoken in favor of the parking ordinance, “Go back to China.”
A community committee member later reprimanded him for the racist comment during the meeting.
“‘Go back to China,’ leave me alone,” said committee member Douglas Stevinson. “You don’t come into my office and attack my residents like that.” The comment was “unacceptable,” he added.
The Waretown resident then called the committee members Nazis and added an insult.
The other people who opposed the new parking rules came from across the state, including towns in Somerset, Ocean, Middlesex and Morris counties. Several argued that the ordinance was political persecution and restricted their freedom of speech and assembly, which are guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution.
“I and my fellow patriots view this as bullying, personal and political persecution and harassment, plain and simple,” said a woman from Woodbridge.
Another opponent, who formerly lived in Bedminster, said the committee’s political affiliation made the issue “confusing.”
“The fact that you are a Republican and supposedly on our side is very confusing to a lot of people here tonight,” said the woman from Manville.
A Bedminster resident who spoke in favor of the ordinance said his three young children enjoy riding their bikes to the library and the new restrictions would make the street safer. Parking on the street obstructs visibility and increases the risk of cyclists being hit by a car, he said.
“We support the council’s efforts to ensure the safety of residents and visitors to our neighborhood with this ordinance,” he said.
Another Bedminster resident agreed that the ordinance was necessary.
“No one has suffered more from the free speech zone established by the municipality than I have,” he said. “For the past eight years, my Saturday mornings have been regularly disrupted by violent out-of-towners from both political camps who have no regard for my neighborhood.”
The gatherings featured horns, bullhorns and music and often lasted several hours, he said. During the pandemic, one particularly loud rally – scheduled for late Saturday afternoon, when rallies usually end – interrupted a special family event.
“That day, the protesters decided to make it an all-day affair, so that the sacred moments of my granddaughter’s baptism were part of the protesters shouting loud abuse at their political opponent,” he said.
Township committee members said the ordinance was not politically motivated. The ordinance does not prohibit people from exercising their free speech or assembly, local officials said.
For eight years, residents of the neighborhood have had to endure loud music, honking, traffic and vulgar singing, said Bedminster Mayor Larry Jacobs, who is also a member of the community committee.
“Bedminster has no obligation to encourage bad behavior by continuing to allow parking on this street,” he told NJ Advance Media.
The Waretown man’s racist remark during the meeting also influenced public discussion about the ordinance, he said.
“If the opponents’ positions were at all valid, they immediately vanished with this derogatory and hateful statement,” Jacobs said, adding that he praised Stevinson for rebuking the man. “I am especially proud of the residents of Bedminster who bravely stood their ground and made their voices heard in the face of an intimidating, hostile crowd.”
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You can reach Brianna Kudisch at [email protected].
