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The "bridge" in Iowa City, August 2017

The Trump Unity Bridge, also known as the Presidential Trump Unity Bridge and Trump Mobile,[1] is a decorated float being driven by a Michigan resident throughout the United States, supporting the 45th President, Donald Trump.[2][3] The float appeared at Trump's inauguration, the 2017 Women's March, and the Mother of All Rallies.

Description

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The Trump Unity Bridge at the Mother of All Rallies, in Washington, D.C., September 2017
The trailer with the Washington Monument in the background, September 2017

The bridge is 50 feet (15 m) long, over 13 feet (4.0 m) tall, and weighs approximately 9,000 pounds (4,100 kg). To make it road mobile, the bridge was attached to a legally registered motorcycle trailer.[4] It features American flags, signage including six-foot-tall letters spelling "Trump", a carved wooden eagle, and a replica of the Statue of Liberty.[5][6][7]

The signs on the bridge include sayings such as "All Lives Matter", "American Culture", "Drain the swamp", "Hire American", and "Secure America's borders".[5][6]

Due to is haphazard construction, the contraption is often referred to as a "rattle-trap" as it's schlepped all over the state of Michigan.

History

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Rob Cortis, a resident of Livonia, Michigan, has owned the bridge since 1985.[4] The bridge was stolen from Cortis' Farmington Hills property in December 2014 and recovered in Belleville.[8]

Cortis began driving the pro-Trump trailer in October 2016.[4] He drove 20,000 miles by January 2017,[9] and more than 40,000 miles by August 2017.[4] The float was vandalized in Alexandria, Virginia, en route to the Mother of All Rallies in Washington, D.C.[10][11]

In March 2019, Cortis interrupted an interfaith vigil in downtown Cleveland, Ohio commemorating the victims of the Christchurch mosque shootings by driving the float past twice while playing loud music.[12]

On November 6, 2020, the float was impounded by Detroit Police for having an invalid license plate, and Cortis was taken into custody because of an outstanding warrant for a charge of disturbing the peace. Police warned him on Wednesday not to return to Detroit, but he did so anyway and was arrested.[13]

On September 22, 2021, the float was involved in a three-vehicle crash in Flint, Michigan. Cortis was driving an ambulance hauling the Unity Bridge back to his home from an event opposing high school mask mandates when he hit another vehicle and spun into a telephone pole. There were no major injuries and there was no damage to the float.[14]

Trump tour timeline

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Bowling, Suzanna (18 January 2017). "A One Float Trump Parade in Times Square". Times Square Chronicles. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  2. ^ Dyke, Hunter (September 14, 2017). "On the road with Michigan's biggest Trump supporter". MLive.com. Advance Publications. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  3. ^ "Robert Cortis Brings the 30-Foot Long Trump "Unity Bridge" to CBS Radio". Detroit: WWJ-TV. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d "Trump Unity Bridge to visit Dream Cruise". The Detroit News. August 18, 2017.
  5. ^ a b Young, JoAnne; Minichiello, Susan (August 18, 2017). "Trump booster rolls his 'Unity Bridge' through streets of Lincoln". Lincoln Journal Star. Lee Enterprises. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
  6. ^ a b Jordan, Erin (August 19, 2017). "Trump Unity Bridge float riles some in Iowa City". The Gazette. Cedar Rapids, Iowa: The Gazette Company. ISSN 1066-0291. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  7. ^ "Trump Unity Bridge catches Dream Cruisers' attention". The Detroit News. Digital First Media. ISSN 1055-2715.
  8. ^ "Stolen 5,000-Pound Bridge Recovered In Metro Detroit". WWJ-TV. 5 December 2014. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  9. ^ Alfarone, Debra. "'Trump Unity Bridge' rolls into DC, causes a scene". WUSA9.com. Archived from the original on 2018-01-21. Retrieved 2017-09-17.
  10. ^ Rahal, Sarah (18 September 2017). "Trump-supporting vehicle and trailer vandalized". The Detroit News. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  11. ^ Ikonomova, Violet (16 September 2017). "Vandals nearly destroy Trump Unity Bridge ahead of pro-Trump rally in Washington". Metro Times. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  12. ^ Deike, John. "'Trump supporter drives 'build the wall' float past New Zealand mourners at Cleveland City Hall'". Cleveland19.com. Retrieved 2019-03-16.
  13. ^ DeVito, Lee (6 November 2020). "Owner of 'Trump Unity Bridge,' a roving shrine to Trump, arrested in Detroit for riding dirty". Metro Times. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  14. ^ Ritchey, Isaac (6 November 2020). "Trump Unity Bridge involved in multiple car crash". Advance Publications. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  15. ^ "Livonia Man Tours The Region With 30-Foot Long Trump 'Unity Bridge'". CBS Detroit. 2016-11-10. Retrieved 2017-09-20.
  16. ^ Cleveland 19 Digital Team (December 12, 2016). "Have you seen the Presidential Trump Unity Bridge driving around Cleveland?". Retrieved 2017-10-20.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  17. ^ Blades, Erik (2017-01-17). "This dedicated Trump supporter couldn't wait for inauguration day". New York Post. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  18. ^ Eisler, Peter; Fares, Melissa; Volz, Dustin (2017-01-20). "Conflicted U.S. capital prepares to host Trump's inauguration". Reuters. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  19. ^ "Man drives 'Trump Unity Bridge' though Indy". RTV6. 2017-03-20. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  20. ^ Stanton, Ryan (2017-03-15). "Trump protesters clash with supporters at president's Michigan visit". MLive Media Group. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  21. ^ Porterville, Mason (2017-08-16). "Trump Bridge of Unity rolls through North Platte". KNOP-TV. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  22. ^ Hammel, Paul (2017-08-17). "Pro-Trump float hits the streets in downtown Lincoln". World-Herald Bureau. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  23. ^ Fickau, Ethan (August 18, 2017). "'Trump Unity Bridge' trailer passes through Iowa City on coast to coast tour". KCRG-TV9. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
  24. ^ "Trump float on coast-to-coast tour rolls through Iowa". Des Moines, Iowa: KCCI. 18 August 2017.
  25. ^ "See video: 'Trump Unity Bridge' from metro Detroit vandalized in Virginia". Detroit: WXYZ-TV. 15 September 2017.
  26. ^ Khalil, Ashraf; Associated Press (2017-09-16). "Trump skips town, but still focus of competing rallies in D.C." PBS NewsHour. Retrieved 2017-09-20.
  27. ^ Baumgaertner, Emily (2017-09-16). "Juggalos on the Mall? Just Another Weekend of Washington Protests". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  28. ^ Bauer, Caleb (11 May 2018). "Elements of parade and tailgate outside Trump rally". South Bend Tribune. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  29. ^ Feick, Joel (13 July 2019). "Controversial Trump float dominates Michigan parade". WEYI-TV. Sinclair Broadcast Group. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  30. ^ ""Bless you": Fox News stars shower blessings upon protesters for violating coronavirus restrictions". 2020-04-16. Retrieved 2020-04-18.
  31. ^ LeBlanc, Barbara (18 May 2020). "Joined by defiant Texas salon owner, Owosso barber calls for business owners to 'open up'". The Detroit News. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  32. ^ "Mich. man's Trump Unity Bridge stolen and crashed while on tour in Tulsa, Okla". FOX 2 Detroit. August 31, 2020. A Michigan man's touring creation called the Trump Unity Bridge was stolen and destroyed over the weekend in Tulsa, Okla.
  33. ^ Trump Unity Bridge returns to Alpena, The Alpena News
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