Pro-Trump Boaters In Lake Hopatcong Rip Biden Supporters: Locals

HOPATCONG, NJ - It was a supposed to be a relaxing Saturday in his Elba Point yard on Lake Hopatcong. But instead, Ken Beckermen was treated to a serenade of air horns, profanity and harassment because his backyard sported a sign supporting Joe Biden for president.

"It was a rough day to say the least," Beckerman told Patch.

A pair of competing boat gatherings surrounding President Donald Trump hit the lake on Saturday, with hundreds in attendance. The "No Hate On Our Lake" protest boat parade is to counter another group of Trump supporters who were rallying to show their support on the lake.

Matthew Steinbaum, who organized the No Hate On Our Lake rally with is brother, said that his event was to demonstrate that the community doesn't stand for hate.

"Please bring your anti Trump signs, pro Biden signs, or any other signs of protest that will send a clear message," he said. "This protest will be extremely peaceful and safe."

But not everyone was committed to that.

Some Trump supporters, organized by the Sussex County Republican Committee, took issue with homeowners in support of Joe Biden. One of them was Beckerman, who said his family had just settled into his backyard, including his 84-year-old mother-in-law and soon became a target for vitriol.

"We were treated to over an hour of screaming and yelling, loud horns, music blaring, comments, foul language - all because of our Biden sign," he said. "We did not engage, just waited for it all to pass. It was extremely disruptive, but we were able to maintain our composure and class."

But it didn't end there.

Beckerman said after the parade, the attacks continued for four hours. Beckerman said the harassment got so upsetting he filed a report with the Hopatcong Police Department.

"It was topped off by this person yelling the following on a megaphone, 'That's a really nice house you have, why don't you sell it and disburse the wealth. I don't see any black people with you are you prejudice?'" he said. "This amounts to harassment, right in my backyard, with my 84-year-old mother-in-law watching and listening in horror."

Beckerman has been a resident on the lake for 13 years and in that time has invested in and helped develop and run the Row New Jersey Rowing team on the lake. Beckerman helped build the boathouse and training facility in Lee’s Cove with the support of Morris Parks.

The 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation is devoted to developing the strength, character and confidence of middle school and high school students as well as masters rowers, through the discipline and teamwork of rowing, according to their website.

"This team serves roughly 80 athletes per season from 15 middle and high schools around the area," he said.

Steinbaum, a lifelong resident of the lake area, told Patch it was no coincidence the boating events were happening on the same say at the same time.

"Well, what really prompted us was the fact that the Trump Boat Parade got rescheduled to the same date. Once I saw that even after having a large event, they still weren't satisfied and are now planning to come back," he said. "I felt no choice but to come back and raise my voice. I'm proud to live here and I cannot let hate and Trump go unchallenged at my home and my country."

Jean Scrocco, who has lived on Lake Hopatcong since 1991 and on Elba Point since 1992 said that both this event and the one before it were filled with hate.

"When I found out about the first Flotilla tried to call the Governor’s office a number of times. I sent emails and never received a response. My request was that if they had to have a Trump Flotilla that they should stay in the middle of the lake, not in my backyard," she said. "No one paid attention to the request. Both times these boats were a few feet off our docks. Making it impossible for us to go near the water not for a few hours of the flotilla but the entire rest of the day."

Scrocco's husband is Greg Hildebrandt who is internationally known in the art world for his Star Wars and Lord of the Rings art. Scrocco said the first weekend when the boats went buy in support of Trump, Hildebrandt stood on the deck holding a sign he painted that said Biden No Hate.

"We are Biden supporters. We have as much right to our opinion as they have," she said, noting that almost every boat that passed the house spewed obscenities at them as they went by. And the abuse didn't end there. The photo of her husband with the sign he made was twisted reposted.

"One of the supporters of Trump downloaded this photo and with photoshop turned it into saying Biden is a pedophile and reposted it with my husband holding it on social media," she said.

But Scrocco said their very public actions may be getting a larger audience.

"I video taped that entire flotilla with their vulgarity. The footage is being used in a documentary that is being made about my husband’s life and his career," she told Patch. " Netflix is possibly interested in the documentary. Won’t these people look ignorant with their no hate signs and their foul mouths."

Beckerman and Scrocco are on the same page when it comes to their being no place for this in the community.

"We should all be entitled to our opinions and should not be abused or harassed by those who do not agree," he said. "A sunny summer day in my backyard was turned into a dark sad day full of hate and rage put on us by others. No one should be harassed, especially in their own backyard in front of their elderly parents."

Editor's note: Patch reached out to the Hopatcong Police for the status of the complaint filed and to see if there were other complaints filed. If anyone was a victim of this type of harassment from Biden or Trump supporters and would like to share their story on the record, they can drop a line to russ.crespolini@patch.com.

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