Veteran’s ‘Trump 2020’ Flag Vandalized, Teens Arrested
Two teenagers have been arrested in connection with the burning of an Afghanistan war veteran’s Trump 2020 flag, the Burlington Free Press is reporting.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Gus Klein served two deployments in Afghanistan before returning to civilian life in Burlington, Vermont. Though he admittedly lives in a solidly Blue state (Hillary Clinton easily carried Vermont in 2016), Klein is a Trump supporter and proudly displays his Trump 2020 flag from his front porch.
That is until vandals destroyed his flag. One Saturday night or early Sunday morning in late November, vandals snuck onto his porch while Klein slept and set his flag on fire, leaving it to burn on the porch.
Though upset about the damage to his flag, Klein was more concerned about the fact that vandals set fire to something and left it to burn on his porch while his family slept inside.
“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.”
Initially, Burlington police had no suspects. However, two teens have now been arrested in connection with this crime.
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
The names of the suspects, aged 14 and 15, cannot be released because they are juveniles. According to a statement from the Burlington Police, the teens’ parents “assisted” with the investigation, although it is not clear how. The youths’ cases “were sent to an alternative justice program for an appropriate resolution.”
It remains unclear, as of this writing, what charges the teens face. The Burlington Police Department says the case is being referred to as a matter of “unlawful mischief.”
As for Klein, his original Trump 2020 flag has been replaced with a brand new one, by none other than Eric Trump, the son of the president.
When this original story came to light in late November, it somehow made it to the attention of Eric. On Twitter, Eric asked Klein to provide him with his address so he could send him a replacement flag.
“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!”
Trump, indeed, appeared to follow through on his promise, as Trump tweeted later that Klein’s replacement flag was in the mail.
