Pro-Trump 'Trust Jesus' bus crashes on the way to Staten Island rally
A Donald Trump-themed bus crashed on the way to a rally in Staten Island, a borough of New York City, over the weekend, leaving two Trump supporters without a home or their regular source of income.
Donna Eiden’s bus, which is plastered with posters of the former president and a “TRUST JESUS” sign at the helm, is a familiar sight at pro-Trump rallies. The vehicle operates as a massive souvenir stand for rally attendees and Eiden’s home.
The Philadelphia native told the Staten Island Advance that she was asleep inside the parked vehicle when it started to roll down the busy Hylan Boulevard, weaving in and out of oncoming traffic.
The bus knocked out a gas station sign and poles, littering Trump memorabilia along the street. It finally stopped after hitting a final pole, sustaining significant damage. Photos from the crash show that the passenger side was crushed and largely torn off the vehicle.
Local firefighters said that Eiden and her cat had to be extracted from the bus—neither required medical treatment. Granata was not on the bus at the time of the crash.
The Trump superfan told the Staten Island Advance, “That’s our life. We live in it; we travel in it. I have my daughter’s ashes in it. It’s our business. It’s our life.”
Until the crash, Eiden traveled the country with her husband, Rocky Granata, and their cat, Missy, attending Trump rallies. They sold merchandise out of their bus, including “Make America Great Again” flags, shot glasses, and shirts disparaging President Joe Biden.
This is not the first time the bus has been involved in an accident, according to NJ.com. In 2019, a woman was struck and killed on the side of a New Jersey highway while she was helping Granata with the bus, which had broken down.
Local police said that Anne Lovallo, 56, was aiding Granata when another driver slammed into the bus, which then struck Lovallo. The crash occurred just before 6 a.m., while it was still dark and foggy outside, police said, and the bus did not have its emergency lights on.
In an interview with the New York Post less than two weeks before this most recent collision, Eiden summed up her life on the road: “Whether you want to or not — we wake up and we Trump it!”