The “People’s Convoy” held a Wednesday morning meeting that began with the normal logistics: a birthday shout out, some mentions of God, and a tribute to lost loved ones who mysteriously died not because of COVID-19, but because of being “vaccine injured” or because of the “refusal from medical professionals to treat COVID in the way that has been proven to work.” The Hagerstown Speedway in Maryland has been the rallying point for the trucker convoy after their permit to squat their trucks in D.C. was rejected earlier this month.
The convoy’s numbers have steadily decreased since it arrived a couple of weeks ago, as truckers go back to where they came from, pick up work, lose interest, and feel slightly disillusioned with the absent focus and point of the convoy. Organizer Brian Brase, who just came back to the convoy after returning home for a few days, reportedly argued with some of the truckers who feel the constant driving around the D.C. Beltway is a “waste.” Brase had a rock-solid position on the matter, telling them, "I don't think it's a waste."
On Tuesday night, after a rough couple of days and rumors circulating that the convoy would begin attempting citizen’s arrests of city officials, police officers, and other Beltway drivers, convoy co-organizer Mike Landis told the crowd he didn’t “want to see it fall apart because someone gives into the evil temptations that are amongst us here."
Related: ‘Freedom Convoy’ update: Infighting! Possible COVID outbreak! And … arresting cops?
Related: The trucker convoy crew is having a tough day in Washington, D.C.
Related: Sen. Ted Cruz plays pretend for cameras during trucker press conference
On Wednesday, Landis told the crowd that the rainy weather forecast for Wednesday and Thursday meant that the convoy would be slightly smaller and shorter on those days, for safety reasons. Driving big trucks around in circles in the rain isn’t safe for anybody. Frankly, big trucks just going around in circles, even minus rain, aren’t safe for anybody either, but potatoe/Ted Cruzato.
Brase then addressed the issue of organizing amid all of the right-wing scamming going on, saying while he didn’t “know nothing” and doesn’t have specific evidence beyond hearsay, he wasn’t going to put himself out there and anoint leaders of other states’ attempts at organizing truck convoys. He said he would feel terrible if someone he promoted turned out to be a conman or someone with much more extreme positions who could get people hurt.
Listen and subscribe to Daily Kos' The Brief podcast with Markos Moulitsas and Kerry Eleveld
Brian Brase was asked if Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, after doing his theatrical best to wear a flannel shirt and play pretend trucker, has stayed in contact with the truckers. The answer is: no. He hasn’t. Blase pointed out that Cruz and others in the Senate weren’t the hurdle the truckers needed to overcome, The hurdles, he said, are the House and President Biden.
Brase then did the thing that a lot of populist conservatives do these days: say a totally true thing that is incongruous with the political party they are aligned with. He made the statement that “all” of the politicians on Capitol Hill, regardless of party affiliation, seem to become more out of touch with their constituents the longer they remain in office. We can argue about the absolutism of “all,” but he isn’t wrong.
To this end, Brase said his belief is that civil service was not meant to be a career and there should be more solid term limits at all levels of elected government. Fair enough, but Sens. Ted Cruz and Ron Johnson ain’t the right guys to hitch your trailer to. These are men who voted against saving truck driver’s pensions. It is one of the reasons that the American Tucking Association isn’t on board with this convoy thing.
It’s also a great example of what the amorphous right-wing of the country considers a grassroots movement these days. Left in the lurch but having successfully been directed to focus their anger, fears, and frustrations at everyone besides their bought-and-paid-for conservative elected officials, the trucker convoy is a mishmash of bad science and confused bigotry.
Oh, wait.
You can read all about Couy Griffith and his QAnon-steeped attention-seeking here. Needless to say, he’s a lot like the rest of the folks we have come to see promoting anti-democratic ideas and conspiracy theories. What distinguishes Griffin is that he wears a spanking-new cowboy hat and has what seems to be incredibly well-manicured facial hair!