NJ GOP Senate Candidate Helps Gym Owners Thwart Lockdown Order & Flips Gov. Murphy The Bird
New Jersey’s Atilis Gym has been in the crosshairs of New Jersey Governor after they defied his lockdown restrictions. Frank Trumbetti and Ian Smith have struggled to keep their doors open after being arrested.
“We took a stand for our constitutional rights and for the rights of all small business owners throughout the country,” Smith told “Fox & Friends Weekend” Sunday. “And it wasn’t intended to become political. We were trying to offer a solution to a problem where the government was failing, and it turned political. And that was because of Gov. Murphy’s actions. So now we made it political just as much as he has.”
The owners have teamed up with Republican Senate candidate Rik Mehta who is running to unseat Cory Booker.
(2/2) I’m pleased to announce that the owners have joined my campaign finance committee.
We will hold daily political rallies at Atilis gym.
Political speech is protected and we will protect the sacred political grounds of Atilis Gym.
I’m proud to stand with them.
— Rik Mehta (@RikMehta_NJ) August 22, 2020
“We hope it gives us a reprieve until November 3rd,” he said. “Everyone who comes in here will be a volunteer for the Mehta campaign, and we’ll be here to exercise our rights.”
Mehta has been fighting for small businesses that have been crushed by coronavirus stay at home orders.
“We’re really tired of this one-sided control that the governor has,” Mehta said. “We’ve asked many times… where’s the science? … We flattened the curve and they keep moving the goalpost.”
“You want to hurt small businesses? You’re crushing the American dream,” Mehta added. “And if you look at the unemployment rates in New Jersey, they’re the highest that they’ve ever been. So it’s time for us to put policy over politics… Gov. Murphy turned this into a political chess game. And so what we said is ‘checkmate, governor.’”
Now that’s shoving it to “the man.”
