The anti-vax trucker protests that plagued parts of Canada over the last month are currently winding down, though they did more than clog cities like Ottawa. They also inspired copycats in France. But a MAGA-themed version, which was set to “choke” D.C. on Wednesday, stumbled right out of the gate.
As per The Daily Beast, MAGA trucker Bob Bolus had hyped up a convoy of 10 to 20 trucks that would march from Scranton to D.C., which it would treat like the Canadian truckers did Ottawa. Their purpose? To protest vaccine mandates. He later added other grievances, including immigration, the death of Jan. 6 protester Ashli Babbit, and, of course, Critical Race Theory.
“I’ll give you an analogy of that of a giant boa constrictor,” Bobus boasted. The threat was so real that the Pentagon approved of nearly 700 National Guards personnel to assist local authorities should multiple convoys create gridlock.
NEW: I just got off the phone with Bob Bolus. He told me there are currently 10 to 20 trucks staging at the convoy starting point in Scranton, Pa.
Bolus said that's not enough trucks to warrant a DC Beltway protest. Bolus will make a final determination within the next hour. pic.twitter.com/i7EuHaoWI2
— Kevin Lewis (@KevinLewis7News) February 23, 2022
NEW: an organizer of one of the #TruckersForFreedom convoys says the plan is not to park in DC, but to shut down the Beltway.
Bob Bolus says he plans to leave PA on Wed & circle DC: “I’ll give you an analogy of that of a giant boa constrictor.” @fox5dc pic.twitter.com/BKkisxUpLD
— Lindsay Watts (@LindsayAWatts) February 20, 2022
But no such constricting was to happen. Why? Because no one showed up. That’s not true. Bolus showed up with his 18-wheeler, though he was late to arrive because he got two flat tires. Reuters reporter Julio-César Chávez, who traveled alongside the much diminished convoy, counted five pick-up trucks, one SUV, and one Sedan, for a total of eight vehicles of varying sizes, most of them quite small.
I’m currently out in Washington, D.C. area traffic attempting to locate Scranton-based trucker Bob Bolus’ tiny convoy and there are three big problems: Bolus has no idea where he is going, is stuck in traffic, and has no idea where he is.
— Zachary Petrizzo (@ZTPetrizzo) February 23, 2022
Organizer just told me the plan is to drive down to Harrisburg and then keep going to DC
Current lineup:
8 vehicles-1 18 wheeler, driven by Bob Bolus
5 pickup trucks
1 SUV
1 sedan pic.twitter.com/8Aubv4hY1o
— Julio-César Chávez (@JulioCesrChavez) February 23, 2022
Bob Bolus is on the highway headed down to DC.
We have driven up and down the line, His 18 wheeler is the only one in the convoy followed by four or five pick up trucks and SUVs (that we can tell). All other 18ws passing him
His claim of having 25 trucks driving down is false pic.twitter.com/xvEeqxobnm
— Julio-César Chávez (@JulioCesrChavez) February 23, 2022
“We’re not putting a chokehold on D.C. today,” Bobus told The Daily Beast by noon, when he and the massive convoy that never materialized was originally supposed to have D.C. at its knees. “Not to say that it wouldn’t happen in the very near future. It’s just going to be an idea of what’s to come.”
For now, though, whatever shape the American version of the Canadian convoys takes on in the future, it at least had a start that was even more disastrous than the first day of Trump’s new Twitter clone.
(Via The Daily Beast)
Source: https://uproxx.com/viral/maga-trucker-convoy-bob-bolus-bust/