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The tissues are for Ricatto to wipe his tears since Trump lost the election. Ricatto said he has not received much trouble for putting up his signs but joked that a person has been sending him tissues in the post since Biden was elected. “There is a silent majority out there, not so much in Queens but there are enclaves of right-leaning people.”ĭonald Trump saw his support in Queens rise in the 2020 election with 26.8 percent of citizens voting for him – up from 21.8 percent in 2016. He also said that people are afraid to voice their opinions due to a fear of backlash from the left and that some people have thanked him for putting up his signs. “They are not going to shut me up, they will never shut me up,” he said.

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Nevertheless, Ricatto said he will not let anyone deter him from exercising his right to free speech. In response, he stapled “wanted” signs on public trees in an effort to catch the people swiping them. In 2016, his pro-Trump lawn signs were constantly stolen. Ricatto has courted controversy relating to his signs in the past. Trump’s wall, she added, was “a waste of money, stupid, childish and inherently racist.”Ĩ2-28 Abingdon Rd. “I don’t agree with propping up a fascist whose policies terrified our immigrant brothers and sisters,” Gagarin said, referring to the rise in ICE arrests in Queens under Trump. She said that Trump’s policies targeted undocumented residents in Queens. She said she was more offended by previous signs put up by Ricatto that expressed his outright support for Trump. Gagarin said that while she was offended by the sign she respects his right to free speech. “Trump was trying to kill democracy, he was trying to overthrow our actual government, that’s very clearly true,” she said, referring to the attacks on the Capitol on Jan 6. However, Gagarin says it was Trump who put democracy at risk. “There were too many ambiguities that were never reported and most of the media lean left,” he claims. He argues that the democratic process was upended. Ricatto believes that American democracy is under threat and claims that the presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump.

“We worked hard for years to amass what we have and I don’t like being forced to support someone else,” Ricatto said. Biden’s policies are socialist, he said, and all hardworking taxpayers will have to pay more due to his left-wing policies.įurthermore, Ricatto added that there is little difference between socialism and communism and he considers socialism as communism’s “little brother.” Michael Ricatto, who owns the house and put up the banner, disputed Gagarin’s claims and said he knows exactly what he is talking about. “The sign also uses communist imagery that shows a clear lack of understanding,” she added. Gagarin noted that Biden doesn’t even support universal healthcare. “Joe Biden is certainly not a socialist.” “It’s just so silly, the person is clearly misunderstood,” Gagarin told the Queens Post. The banner drapes between two flag poles in the middle of the front garden that each fly the USA flag. The banner also features a hammer and sickle as well as an image of Lady Liberty crouched over with her hands in her face. The banner reads: “January 20, 2021, Death of Democracy, The Beginning of Socialism.” The date marks the day Joe Biden was sworn into office as the 46th President of the United States. Sunday and posted an image of the house and the sign to Twitter. Sunday (Image by Aleda Gagarin)Ī local candidate for city council has taken issue with a large banner hanging in front of a house in Kew Gardens that claims Joe Biden’s inauguration marked the beginning of socialism.Īleda Gagarin, who is running as a progressive to represent District 29, came across the banner at 82-28 Abingdon Rd.

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