Maybe the campaign trail is best viewed from the back of a hog.
Readers may recognize talented chainsaw sculptor Chris Cox as the gentleman who took it upon himself to mow the lawn surrounding the Lincoln Memorial during the 2013 government shutdown. Since that time, the no-nonsense artist has shifted his attention from Honest Abe to the race for the White House by founding Bikers for Trump 2016. Cox is currently biking across New York and Pennsylvania, holding rallies in support of The Donald, and plans to eventually make a trip to California to organize more West Coast support.
“Bikers are citizen crusaders from all walks of life, and they are very patriotic and like-minded individuals. You’ve never heard of bikers for any other candidate as far back as you want to go,” says Cox.
The political clout of bikers has grown in recent years. In 2015, Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa launched the inaugural Roast and Ride fundraiser, which drew hundreds of bikers and seven Republican presidential hopefuls all vying for support. This year’s ride is scheduled for Aug. 27.
Over recent months, the Bikers for Trump Facebook page has gained more than 31,000 likes, and numbers are growing by the day. According to the group’s founder, all members must adhere to a strict code of conduct and are in no way affiliated with more-recognized biker organizations such as the Hell’s Angels.
Through Cox’s own independent research of the biker community, he says he has found overwhelming support for the golden-haired businessman turned presidential hopeful. After spending two months visiting biker saloons, venues, and concerts, Cox estimates that more than nine out 10 bikers support Trump’s bid for office — pushing the Mt. Pleasant artist to mobilize a cross-country ground campaign for the candidate.
“I wouldn’t put my name on this and get out here and lead this movement if I didn’t feel like we had the support,” says Cox. “Only through my discovery process did I identify this, and so we’ve moved forward.”
No stranger to Washington, D.C., Cox has worked with Elizabeth Dole, Dan Quayle, and Colin Powell. Having grown tired of politics-as-usual, he is convinced that something is needed to shake up the status quo.
“I’m not a guy who was watching the news and got frustrated. I’ve been in the halls of Congress for several years now socializing a bill. I’ve seen firsthand the herd mentalities. I’ve met with over 250 offices of Democrats and probably 100 Republicans, and they all on both sides are holding those party lines. It’s tough to get anything done,” he says. “When Donald Trump gives a speech, it’s not a whorehouse of innuendos designed to flirt with special interests, PACs, and lobbyists. He doesn’t need their money, and he doesn’t want their money, and that’s very appealing to us.”
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