A bold piece of yard art in Wakefield is drawing attention.
Two weeks ago, retired corrections officer John Houston hung a striking political banner outside his North Bronx home, delivering an unfiltered message:
“The Anti-Christ Donald J. Trump and his G.O.P. Cult,” the sign reads. “He rules with fear, lies, and total manipulation for his personal benefit. Don’t drink the juice. Democracy matters!”
Houston told the Bronx Times he put up the banner out of deep concern for the state of democracy in the U.S. He believes President Trump has manipulated his supporters into embracing falsehoods—among them, the Republican rallying cry: “Make America Great Again.”
Houston questions that very notion.
“At what point was America great for people of color?” he asked. “Was it before slavery? After slavery? Our fight for civil rights or desegregation? When was America ever great for people of color?”
Mixed reactions from neighbors
Houston acknowledges that some of his neighbors support Trump. In the 2024 election, nearly 27% of Bronx voters cast their ballots for the president, a significant increase from 2020.
But most reactions to his banner have come from those worried it might attract the wrong kind of attention.
“People are very concerned and fearful of the sign being up and [worried] that the radicals will come by and probably start throwing rocks at things and shooting through my windows,” Houston said.
Still, he believes some risks are necessary.
“Listen, we have had leaders die for the cause of democracy, and if I think that I can’t stand up for what I believe democracy should be, then we’re lost,” he said.
His neighbor, Willow Samuel, said he’s unsure about the sign but doesn’t believe Trump is delivering on his promises.
“A lot of people who voted for him—now they are crying,” Samuel said. “I feel so bad for them.”
Trump’s presence in the Bronx
While Houston remains critical of Trump, the former president has maintained a growing base in the borough. In May 2024, he held a rally in Crotona Park, drawing a large crowd of supporters, while a group of protesters gathered nearby.
Later in the year, he made a second campaign stop in the Bronx, privately meeting with a group of men at Knockout Barbershop in Castle Hill.
Just weeks into his new term, Trump has already signed 68 executive orders, including measures expanding immigration enforcement, eliminating DEI programs, declaring there are only two genders, and creating a Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE). Many of these actions have been met with legal challenges, with critics accusing him of executive overreach.
Houston said he felt compelled to speak up about what he sees as a threat to democracy.
“My point is trying to get people to be more aware of what’s going on because democracy does matter,” he said.
A sign meant to start a conversation
Despite concerns from his neighbors, Houston remains firm in his decision to display the banner.
“For me to sit back and not speak out against what’s going on with the democracy today, I would just be as guilty as the president doing what he’s doing,” he said.
To those in the Bronx who continue to support Trump, Houston urges them to look deeper and beyond party lines.
He said the banner wasn’t just meant to make a statement—it was meant to start a conversation.
“I’m thankful that there is action, that people are taking notice of the banner, and people are questioning what it means,” Houston said.
