Silke Jasso
WASHINGTON — In Washington DC, the inauguration of Donald Trump was met with gloomy weather and high spirits; protesters and police clashed as riots broke out. Groups of bikers supporting the incoming president had proclaimed for weeks that they were going to defend the peaceful transition of power against groups they labeled “anarchists” and “libtards.”
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The “Bikers for Trump” have been a constant presence at Trump rallies and events, they were at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland where they went toe-to-toe with protesters. And the president-elect has spoken highly of his motorcycle-riding supporters on several occasions. Most of them wear patches that read “Support the Troops” or “9-11 – Never Forget” but there are a fair amount of Confederate flags stitched on to their vests and a few patches that read “f*** Islam.”
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Almost since the inception of “motorcycle gangs,” the term has conjured images of shaggy-haired men with a distaste for authority. Yet the “Bikers for Trump” have continuously distanced themselves from the image of the outlaw that sits so prominently in the American psyche. On several occasions, they have joined forces with law enforcement officials in an attempt to keep the peace—a peace that is fragile in places where Trump supporters and protesters are eager to clash.
Chris Cox, the leader of the pro-Trump group, has a much different pedigree than the typical biker. He spent time interning for elected officials and though he wears a scraggly look, underneath is that exterior is a man eager to see legitimate change his nation’s political system. When he appeared on Fox & Friends to talk about the Bikers for Trump presence at the inauguration, there were touches of his South Carolina birthplace but mostly he sounded like a man who knew what he was talking about.
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Cox told Fox that the group started with “the biker’s frustration with where this country was going.” He said that the group was around 200,000 motorcycle enthusiasts. However, the typical “Biker for Trump” looks much different than Chris Cox. As the protests ensued in DC, the Bikers for Trump showed up in force. They were far outnumbered by the protesters but their presence in the area was tangible. Groups of the leather-clad men scowled over the elevating protests. As Trump was sworn in to the presidency, the groups of bikers who had traveled from all over the nation rose cheers and celebrated their new leader.
