Eric Trump sent a new “Trump 2020” flag to a Vermont Afghanistan war veteran after vandals burned his original one, the Daily Mail is reporting. What’s more, Trump vowed to continue replacing the man’s flags as long as vandals keep destroying them.
Gus Klein served two deployments in Afghanistan, according to WCAX-TV (Burlington), before returning to the peaceful community of Burlington, Vermont. Though he admits he lives in a “blue” state, he says that he proudly supports Donald Trump as president — and that he’ll invite anyone to sit down and talk with him, respectfully — about their views.
However, it appears that vandals weren’t interested in giving him that respect, and instead took out their frustrations with their neighbor’s support of Donald Trump by burning his Trump 2020 flag while he slept.
Klein says that he woke up Sunday morning and noticed that his flagpole was not in its usual place. His flag appeared to have been burned.
“I noticed that the flagpole was laying on the ground. I looked on the front porch and I see some cloth on the front porch. It looked like it was burned.”
Besides destroying his property, Klein also says that by dropping the burning flag on his porch, the vandals created a fire hazard that jeopardized his family.
“I was in bed sleeping with my family and I don’t know if this flag was on fire when they threw it on my front porch. I can assume it wasn’t, but if it was that’s not right at all.”
After someone burned a ‘Trump 2020’ flag flying outside of his house, Gus Klein says he sees his Burlington, Vermont, neighborhood in a whole new light. https://t.co/jhZCKiBg3v
— The Sacramento Bee (@sacbee_news) November 27, 2018
Somehow, Donald Trump Jr. heard about Klein’s plight. On Twitter , he asked Klein to provide him with his address, so that a replacement could be sent.
“Gus, Thank you so much for the support and thank you for your service to our country! Get us your address — a new Trump 2020 Flag will be coming your way! Keep up the fight!”
It appears that Klein took the president’s son up on his offer, as a couple of hours later Eric tweeted that Gus’ new flag was on its way. Further, Trump promised to keep sending replacement flags as long as vandals keep destroying his.
Meanwhile, Klein says that he is left shaken by the idea of vandals coming onto his porch at night and burning his property.
“There is fear in my mind and it’s not right. I should be able to come and go as I want, and we should be able to sleep at night in our own property, so there is fear.”
Burlington police are investigating the incident, but as of this writing they have no suspects.