Bob Kunst is a gay and Jewish rights advocate and registered Democrat who demonstrated against Kamala Harris on Independence Mall ahead of the presidential debate on September 10, 2024 (Nick Peace / For the Beacon).
Bob Kunst sat on a lawn chair next to the Liberty Bell in between two large signs that read “Trump vs Tramp” and “Kamala Loves Hamas.”
Kunst, who wore a shirt and hat with the flag of Israel while holding a stack of Trump stickers, took a two-day drive from Miami Beach to Philadelphia to “create havoc,” on Independence Mall.
While the 82-year-old said he supports Trump, he is a registered Democrat and previously supported Hillary Clinton in her race against the former president in 2016. Now, he is “through with the party,” he said.
Kunst is a Jewish rights activist and the president of Shalom International, a Miami-based organization known for anti-Nazi demonstrations with a mission to “Defend Jerusalem,” according to the Sun Sentinel.
Kunst said he has long opposed fascism in his work for the organization, but he believes it’s become present in the Democratic Party.
“[The Democratic party has] done everything possible to stop Trump from even being a candidate and then you call it democracy?” Kunst said. “No, it's called fascism.”
He believes that Harris cannot be trusted in office because he said her policies are inconsistent, citing her reversal of her position on a 2019 pledge to support a ban on fracking as evidence.
Though he does support Trump, who is the Republican candidate, Kunst said that adherence to party allegiances has caused people to lose sight of issues.
Some people believe, “I'm not an American, I'm a Democrat,” he said. “That's what we're stuck with.”
Looking ahead to the debate, Kunst said that he is unsure what to expect between Harris and Trump.
“[Trump] had the whole thing locked in with Biden. This is a different scene. We'll see if she can handle it and he can handle it,” Kunst said.
Kunst said he found more camaraderie than he is used to among other Trump supporters in the city, he said.
“There's a lot more support here in Philly than I was expecting for Trump. I thought it would be a wash on the other side,” Kunst said.
Kunst has attended multiple political events in the past few years, including primary debates, national conventions, and rallies. He believes that the tides have started to turn in Trump’s favor.
“I’ve been in ten cities and I see the change that’s happening,” Kunst said. “I think the Democrats are going to wake up very surprised.”