A day before the defense rested its case in the first-ever criminal trial of a former president of the United States, and as build up surrounds a planned Trump rally in The Bronx on May 23, a Brooklyn man was spotted on East Fordham Road in Fordham Heights with a homemade doll he had created using a Donald Trump Halloween mask.

 

As reported, former U.S. President Donald J. Trump was indicted by a grand jury on Thursday, March 30, 2023, in relation to criminal charges relating to an investigation by the Office of the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg into the alleged, so-called “hush money” payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

 

While the defense and many legal experts say such payments are not illegal, it is the way in which the payment in question was processed / allegedly concealed in the books of the Trump organization, in order to shield Trump from the likely bad publicity such an alleged affair with Daniels would generate ahead of the 2016 presidential election, which is the subject of his trial in Manhattan criminal court. The former president denies any wrongdoing.

 

Back in The Bronx, “Chuckie”, a resident of Brooklyn, was visiting “Taz”, a food vendor at East Fordham Road and Creston Avenue in Fordham Manor on Sunday, May 19, when Chuckie was spotted with the doll.

 

Asked if he was a Trump supporter, Chuckie replied, “Nah, I’m not. He didn’t do enough for the military and Americans, man. He’s doing more for outsiders as an insider and we’re Americans. We should survive here and we should be there for each other. He should be there for us.”

Chuckie, doing a backflip, continued, “I still support him from time to time, but there’s a lot of [expletive] sh*t that he’s doing, and he should stop doing that sh*t.” Chuckie said he would be among the 3,500 people scheduled to attend Trump’s Bronx rally taking place in Crotona Park on Thursday, May 23. Asked if he would vote for Trump, Chuckie said, “Yeah, I’m gonna vote for him. I don’t like Biden.”

 

Meanwhile, moments earlier, Taz had joked as he posed for a photo while placing a lighter that resembled a small, fake handgun to the head of the Donald Trump doll and a small, real knife near its throat. As widely reported at the time, comedian Kathy Griffin was cancelled in 2017 after she held up a fake, masked “decapitated” head of Trump, complete with ketchup sauce, in a recorded video in which she mocked the former president. She said she was later reportedly the subject of a formal investigation by the U.S. Secret Service.

 

Taz was asked if he supported the former president. He replied, “I like him in a way, because he gave us money but I’d rather have… I mean if he comes back, I don’t give a f—k.” Taz, who’s been a food vendor along East Fordham Road for the last six years, said he would not be attending the Trump rally. When asked if he planned to vote for U.S. President Joe Biden, he responded, “I don’t know, probably.” He then added, “I never vote anyway.” We have, so far, been unsuccessful in our attempts to ask Chuckie and Taz to expand on their political views.

 

Meanwhile, on the same day as The Bronx was honoring this year’s Bronx Walk of Fame honorees on Saturday, May 18, on the second last day of Bronx Week 2024, Black Leaders of the Bronx Conservative Party, including Dion Powell, Conservative district leader for the 78th Assembly District, organized a rally in Bill Rainey Park in the South Bronx at 810 Dawson Street and Beck Street, in response to what they called Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s “racist remarks” regarding Black children in The Bronx.

One extract from the press release annoucing the rally read, “Black leaders from The Bronx will be coming together to address Gov. Hochul’s insensitive and inaccurate remarks, which perpetuate negative stereotypes about Black children in the Bronx community. The press conference will also serve as a platform to allow candidates who want to represent the borough in this election cycle to express their disgust, but also put forward their solutions. There will be a voter re-registration drive to exit the Democratic Party as well as a pro-Blacks for Trump rally happening at the same time.” An earlier section of press release described the governor’s remarks as “racist.”

 

As widely reported, during a Milken Institute Global Conference in California on May 6, while being interviewed on stage in front of the business community, Hochul had said, “Right now, we have young Black kids growing up in The Bronx who don’t even know what the word ‘computer’ is. They don’t know, they don’t know these things.” The governor was roundly lambasted for the remarks by many both within her own party and by the opposition.

 

Hochul later said she regretted her choice of words. Back in New York, when one reporter informed her “as a black kid from The Bronx” he had received a computer at age three, she responded, saying, “I’m glad you did. I chose the wrong words. I know I’ve hurt a lot of people. I took full responsibility for it. I’ve said that before. I said that the first day, and I’ll continue to say that.”

Asked by the same reporter what she had been trying to say while speaking in California, the governor responded, “I was focusing on disparities in education that I’d had conversations with elected leaders about when I visited schools in The Bronx, and it was concerning to me, but like I said before, I chose the wrong words to articulate my concerns about children.”

 

Meanwhile, in a short video of the May 18 South Bronx rally, later posted to social media, attendees were heard chanting in unison as they marched, “Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump!” One of the speakers at the May 18th rally was Gonzalo Duran, vice chairman of the Bronx County Conservative party and Conservative district leader for the 79th Assembly District, who is currently running to unseat Democratic Congressman Ritchie Torres (NY-15) in this year’s congressional election. Torres represents a large section of the borough stretching from the northwest to the South Bronx.

 

“Thank you to the members of the Black Patriots for Trump for allowing me to speak today at their rally,” Duran, who has received the Republican Party’s endorsement in his bid to be elected to Congress, said on Saturday. “I’m glad I was able to represent my district, and it was a great start to Donald J. Trump’s upcoming appearance in Crotona Park, right here in my district. #President #Trump #Bronx #2024Election“

Duran, a marine veteran, chaplain, and New York City employee, who is also a member of the volunteer veterans group, Devil Dogs USA, which regularly organizes charity and other events, some of which have been covered by Norwood News, announced in April on his Facebook account that he had obtained a New York City press pass, writing, “Never needed a press pass before but new venues require it. Grateful to The Bronx Chronicle for giving me my first platform when I started, and TheBronxDaily for allowing me to broaden it now. Thanks to all outlets and organizations for supporting my submissions over the years. #Journalist #Journalism”

 

Not much information about The Bronx Daily is available on its website, and the publication’s contacts are not disclosed. Meanwhile, Duran has been described as a “friend and contributor” of The Bronx Chronicle. Similarly, not a lot of information about this publication appears on The Bronx Chronicle’s website and many of the published articles appear to be written under a presumed pseudonym “Jonas Bronck.” Jonas Bronck was a 17th century Dutch immigrant after which The Bronx is reportedly named.

 

Without mentioning any names, Norwood News recently asked the Mayor’s Office for Media and Entertainment (MOME) whether, in general, it carries out due diligence on applicants of press passes to ensure there is no conflict of interest. [Duran announced his candidacy for Congress in December 2023, and announced receipt of his press pass in April 2024.]

MOME responded, saying, “The PCO processes applications based on MOME issued rules (Title 43, Chapter 16 of the Rules of the City of New York) that set forth application procedures for press credentials, criteria for denial of an application for a press credential, and criteria for suspension or revocation of a press credential.”

 

Mentioning that we were aware of at least one unnamed person who was running for elected office who was also campaigning for others, and who was the holder of a press pass, we asked MOME whether they believed this was a conflict of interest. A representative responded, saying, “The official rules do not limit candidates and office holders from qualifying for a press card, provided they meet all of the requirements in the rules.”

 

The representative added, “The Conflicts of Interest Board (COIB) is charged with interpreting and enforcing the conflicts of interest code for New York City’s public servants, contained in Chapter 68 of the City Charter. Chapter 68 contains bright-line standards to govern conflicts between the public duties and private interests of its public servants. Please visit the COIB website for more information.”

 

Duran works for NYC Department of Veterans Affairs. We reached out to COIB for comment, and a representative responded on May 25, saying, “Whether the Board has received a complaint or sought an investigation from the New York City Department of Investigation involving an individual public servant is confidential as a matter of law under the City Charter.”

 

We also reached out directly to Duran for comment on whether he, himself, considers it a conflict of interest to identify as a press pass-holding, self-described journalist [of whom there is an expectation from the public of independence] while simultaneously running for congressional office, and while campaigning for both a U.S. presidential candidate and designated political parties.

 

Duran responded, “If you look at all my work separately and together, I keep everything within the bounds of my position, and the rules and regulations of my offices. There is no conflict of interest, especially considering how often elected officials cross the line without facing the scrutiny I would. Many writers blatantly push their agendas, whereas I strive to stay in the middle ground. For example, a majority of my writings come from the mayor’s office, but I stick to the topic at hand.”

He continued, “I would like to mention that much of my writing highlights individuals, events, and work that mainstream media often ignores. I don’t expect significant coverage from major media outlets for my candidacy because the system tends to favor other parties over mine. If it weren’t for my status as a decorated veteran and nonprofit leader, my name would likely remain unknown due to lack of coverage.”

 

Duran concluded, “For the last ten years, I have utilized local cable, radio, and journalism to help others facing similar challenges. As someone communicating these issues to the public, I hope to bring attention to who I am and that my opinions don’t overshadow others’ personal views.”

 

We asked Duran if he had received training in journalism. He replied, “For nearly everything I do, I take classes, teach myself, or learn through trial and error. As a journalist, I have always written my opinions on different platforms. Ten years ago, The Bronx Chronicle asked me to write a few columns regarding veterans. They helped me cultivate my skills, and from there, I branched out to different outlets and subjects, such as Careers in Government, personal blogs, and various company newsletters. I have never needed a press pass to do my work, but having one makes it easier to gain access and credibility.”

 

The evidence doesn’t quite support Duran’s assertion that he keeps his political and journalistic work within the bounds of each position, however. In addition to actively advertising the upcoming Trump rally on his Facebook account, Duran wrote a news story, published May 18 on The Bronx Daily’s website entitled, “The Bronx County Conservative Party Welcomes former President Donald Trump to The Bronx.”

In it, no attempt was made by Duran to disguise his overt support for the former president. “The Bronx County Conservative Party is thrilled to welcome Presidential Candidate and former President Donald Trump to the Bronx,” he wrote. The candidate even referred to “we” in the next line of the story, writing, “We fondly remember his campaign visit in 2016 and are eager for a repeat. Over the past year, the Bronx County Conservative Party has worked diligently to draw attention to Trump’s campaign.”

 

Absent from the story is any balance or context, any mention of the former president’s legal woes, his political record, or any reference to his other lost legal cases. Neither is the article categorized as an opinion piece but is instead published under the “Politics Featured News” section of the website. Of course, all of this would be fine if the article wasn’t being presented as a “news story” on a “news” website, especially when the press is constantly being reminded of the public’s unprecedented distrust of news organizations.

 

Duran later defended his story in The Bronx Daily saying that his affiliation as the official spokespeson for the Bronx Conservative Party was disclosed at the end of the article and indeed it was, which is all the more bizarre considering it was published (in the first person) as “news” and not as opinion on a “news” website.

 

Widely accepted norms in journalism are that those reporting on hard “news” be independent, that the elements of a news story be attributed to sources and contextualized for readers, and that the language used in a news story be neutral. Where the author of an article is also the source, there is little hope of objectivity.

 

Meanwhile, Duran continues to present himself to the public both as a “journalist” of whom, as above, there is an expectation of independence, and as a spokesperson for his chosen political party. It is precisely this kind of duality that blurs the lines for news consumers and voters already distrustful of the media.

 

Seemingly in defense of his self-published story on Trump’s planned Bronx rally, Duran referenced another story also published on The Bronx Daily website, which was authored by “Jonas Bronck,” and which appears to have been published verbatim from a press release about the Bronx Trump counter-protest which took place on May 23. Duran appears to be missing the point that publishing any press release verbatim, irrespective of its origin and presenting it as “news” is a disservice to readers.

 

Regarding his comment about media bias and his assertion that conservatives do not get fair coverage, he does have a point, however. According to the legal case, CBS v. Democratic Nat’l Committee, 412 U.S. 94 (1973), the “fairness doctrine” of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), introduced in 1949, was a policy that required broadcasters to present controversial issues of public importance and to do so in a manner that fairly reflected differing viewpoints.

 

According to Dan Fletcher’s article, “A Brief History of the Fairness Doctrine,” published in February 2009 in Time magazine, the FCC abolished the fairness doctrine in 1987, prompting some to urge its reintroduction through either Commission policy or congressional legislation.

 

Later, according to an August 2011 Brooks Boliek article in Politico, “FCC finally kills off fairness doctrine,” the FCC removed the rule that implemented the policy from the Federal Register. The demise of this FCC rule has been cited as a contributing factor in the rising level of party polarization in the United States. Print media, on the other hand, is largely regulated by libel laws and the courts, and there appears to be less focus on, and oversight of, fairness and balance in print stories.

On Feb. 13, Duran had actually thanked Norwood News for covering a Bronx County Conservative Party Christmas event, writing, “The Bronx County Conservative Party and I would like to thank the Norwood News for being the first Bronx news outlet to cover the work we have been doing as a Party. *This marks my first acknowledgment as an elected official. May this be one step forward to many more. Read more: https://www.norwoodnews.org/bronx-county-conservative…/ NY State Conservative Party”

 

Of course, it is not unknown for journalists to run for office or to work for elected officials. However, doing so at the same time as running for office is not common. CNBC contributor, Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, for example, previously ran unsuccessfully against Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) in the 2020 Democratic congressional primary. Norwood News asked Caruso-Cabrera if she had formally stepped down from her role with the company during the course of her election campaign and she duly confirmed she had done so.

 

Meanwhile, various Bronx Democratic elected leaders have also been sharing their reaction to the upcoming Trump rally scheduled to take place on May 23 in The Bronx.

 

On May 17, Torres released a statement, saying, “Donald Trump announced an upcoming rally in my Congressional District in the South Bronx. The South Bronx has no greater enemy than Donald Trump, who is on a mission to dismantle the social safety net on which Bronx families depend for their survival. Trump is and has always been a fraud. The South Bronx – the most Democratic area in the nation – will not buy the snake oil that he is selling.” The congressman later penned an op-ed [not a news story] for the New York Daily News in which he elaborated on his opposition to Trump’s policies.

District 15 City Councilman Oswald Feliz, who represents some or all of the Bronx neighborhoods of Morrisania, Claremont Village-Claremont (East), Crotona Park East, Crotona Park (where Trump’s rally is due to take place), Mount Eden-Claremont (West), Claremont Park, Mount Hope, Fordham Heights, West Farms, Tremont, Belmont, University Heights (North)-Fordham, Bedford Park, Soundview-Bruckner-Bronx River, Pelham Parkway-Van Nest, Allerton, Bronx Park, also weighed in on the matter.

 

“Recently learned Donald Trump will hold a rally at Crotona Park in my district. If he’s coming here for votes, he is wasting his time,” Feliz said. “The Bronx will never forget his history of racism, xenophobia & extremism. Also won’t forget the people he scammed with that fake university.”

 

The New York State Young Republicans responded to the tweet, saying, “Cry more. Our Bronx chapter is thriving with young Black and Hispanic New Yorkers who’ve been empowered to engage civically through our new Republican Party. We are coming to your district, we are holding a rally, and we will re-elect President @realDonaldTrump #getbent.” 

 

The councilman then responded to the assertion that the Republican Bronx chapter was thriving with young Black and Hispanic New Yorkers, saying, “Thriving in the Bronx? With African Americans and Hispanics? You should take a close look at the numbers.”

 

Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson also had her say on the matter, retweeting the councilman’s tweet, and adding of Trump, “I’m surprised he has time away from his criminal trial in court. Now The Bronx has his attention. He can exit stage left at Claremont Parkway. SMH.”

Meanwhile, the organized counterprotest by Democrats to Thursday’s Trump rally is also in the works. Assembly Member Amanda Séptimo (A.D. 84), who roughly represents parts of Highbridge, Mott Haven, and Hunts Point in the South Bronx, recently wrote, along with an accompanying counter protest flier, “Trump holding a campaign rally in the South Bronx and not getting an answer from us? Not on my watch! You’re all invited join me,  @KirstenJohnFoy with the Arc of Justice & the South Bronx community to rally in support of everything The Bronx is *really* about!”

 

Of course, it’s not the first time Bronx politicians have publically weighed in on the former president’s legal woes, as reported. Meanwhile, when Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor-Greene (GA-14) visited New York to support Trump during one of his recent legal trials, such was the opposition to her presence in the City, she had to retreat into her vehicle and leave the location. Congressman Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), who represents parts of The Bronx and Westchester, was among the vocal opponents to Taylor-Greene’s presence in New York.

 

Meanwhile, on May 14, in reference to Trump’s ongoing legal trial, the Conservative Caucus in Washington D.C., described as the leading grassroots conservative network in the country, issued a statement regarding what they said was “the ongoing political persecution of the presumptive Republican nominee for President and 45th President of the United States Donald Trump.”

 

Jim Pfaff, president of the caucus, wrote, “Above the U.S. Supreme Court building are the words, ‘Equal Justice Under Law’ – but as we’ve witnessed over the last eight years, this principle does not apply if your name is Donald Trump.” He continued, “Directed by Joe Biden and coordinated by Merrick Garland’s Department of Justice, corrupt prosecutors and biased judges are destroying the rule of law in America by abusing their offices to take out a political opponent.  If they can do it to Donald Trump and alter an election, then they will do it to all who oppose them.”

 

Pfaff went on to day, “Then we’re next. That’s why it is critical that we elect Donald Trump. He’s truly the only one who can stop this destructive pattern in our legal system. This isn’t about political ideologies or specific policy issues – this is about good versus evil. The American Experiment in freedom is literally at stake.”

 

According to The Conservative Caucus, its mission is “to create a grassroots conservative network, uniting people of widely varying backgrounds in peaceable defense of our country, our Constitution, and our common values rooted in liberty and equal rights.”

As reported, the formerly Trump-managed Trump Golf Links in the Throggs Neck section of The Bronx, has since been renamed and is now managed by Ballys, following another legal dispute over the running of the City-owned piece of land. Read our previous story on that issue, prior to the renaming, here.

 

As reported, primary elections for Congress, State, and party positions will be held on June 25. Early voting starts Saturday, June 15, until Sunday, June 23. The last day to register to vote is June 15 in the local primary.

 

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to include additional feedback from Gonzalo Duran and from MOME, and again on May 25 following feedback from the NYC Conflicts of Interest Board.