Local candidate paints mural of Trump
PORT CLINTON – J.R. Majewski, the Port Clinton man hoping to unseat the longest serving woman in U.S. Congress, has a new massive Donald Trump banner painted across his entire front yard.
Majewski, who made national news in the summer of 2020 after painting his lawn into an enormous 19,000-squarefoot sign supporting former President Donald Trump’s reelection bid at the time, is back again with an even more elaborate painting featuring the former president.
“I’m sending an ‘S.O.S.’ to President Trump because the United States of America needs leadership now more than ever,” he said.
The new yard painting features a very large red, white and blue mural of Trump with intricate detail in the style of a stencil portrait on a solid backdrop of the same three colors.
Majewski is running as a Republican candidate aiming to challenge U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-toledo, for Ohio’s Ninth District seat.
Lawn mural inspired by plight of U.S. citizens still in Afghanistan
Sparking him to create the new painting, he cited the recent turmoil surrounding the U.S. military’s recent withdrawal from Afghanistan and that there are still American citizens in the country amid the chaotic and expansive evacuation efforts.
Majewski referenced recent reports about U.S. citizens still in Afghanistan who are being denied access into neighboring countries as they try to flee with their families.
Earlier this month, the Washington Post reported one naturalized U.S. citizen, who reportedly spoke to the outlet on the condition of anonymity, said he was told he could exit Afghanistan via Uzbekistan with his wife, but would have to leave behind other relatives, such as his mother-in-law, a reported California resident who has a green card.
Majewski, a U.S. veteran who served
in Afghanistan himself, criticized Kaptur’s support of the Biden administration as it relates to the handling of the withdrawal from the country, which left Americans and their families behind, he said.
Kaptur, however, praised the evacuation efforts, which are still ongoing, as “heroic.”
“In the midst of unimaginable chaos, the U.S. military has been engaged in a heroic effort to swiftly evacuate as many
people as possible amidst growing unrest in Afghanistan,” she said following the terrorist attack coordinated by ISIS-K in Kabul that killed 13 U.S. service members on Aug. 26.
She described the loss of Americans as a “tragedy beyond belief.”
“These brave service members made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our citizens and allies. Our hearts go out to their families and loved ones, and we pray for the safety of those still on the
ground,” Kaptur said.
Voting records on military, Capitol security
In late July, Kaptur voted in favor of a bipartisan bill to spend $2 billion this year on actions related to the U.S. military leaving Afghanistan, as well as various measures to increase security at the Capitol building following the Jan. 6 riot.
U.S. Rep. Bob Latta, R-bowling Green, also voted in favor of the bill. U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-urbana, did not vote on the measure. In the Senate, both U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-ohio, and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-ohio, voted to pass the bill.
But if he were to oust Kaptur for the Ohio’s Ninth District seat, Majewski promised, “America will never lose face” and lauded his own strong leadership qualities he would bring to Congress.
“We will never leave an American behind, or a soldier on the battlefield, and we will make America great again,” Majewski said.
Defeating Kaptur, who has served the district often referred to as “the Snake on the Lake” as it stretches from Toledo to Cleveland across Ohio’s Lake Erie shore for nearly 40 years, will be no easy task.
Kaptur has handily defeated her past 20 Republican opponents for the Ninth District, with the respective challengers only topping 40% of the vote twice, Frank Venner reaching 43% in 1984 and Rich Iott garnering 41% in 2010. jstinchcom@gannett.com 419-680-4897
Twitter: @JONDBN