Riders at Sunday’s Rolling Thunder motorcycle convoy said they’re optimistic President Trump follows through on his morning pledge that the imperiled event will carry on after this year.
The Sunday morning tweet implied Trump would take action to continue, which is threatened by costs for park fees, permits, and other issues of access to Pentagon property and nearby sites.
The Great Patriots of Rolling Thunder WILL be coming back to Washington, D.C. next year, & hopefully for many years to come. It is where they want to be, & where they should be. Have a wonderful time today. Thank you to our great men & women of the Pentagon for working it out!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 26, 2019
The 31-year-old Rolling Thunder motorcycle event, to honor veterans and remember prisoners of war, is slated to end after this weekend. Organizers said this year would be the last ride, blaming the Pentagon’s bureaucracy, in addition to costs.
Some riders who spoke with the Washington Examiner, many of whom revealed it was their first time participating, expressed mixed feelings of honor and sadness to ride in what could be the final event.
Jim Tinder, a first-time rider in the event and Marine Corps and Air National Guard veteran, said he was both heartbroken and optimistic about the the event’s situation.
“I hope [Trump] follows through for it,” he said. “I believe he will. I mean, our vice president rides a road bike.”
Ron Douglas, an Army veteran, with his Boston terrier service dog, Gizmo, said he hopes Trump will be able to revive Rolling Thunder because if he does, it would be “very impressive.”
If this was the last Rolling Thunder, it did not disappoint with the number of attendees. Both the Pentagon’s northern and southern parking lots were filled with bikes, and the road leading to the northern lot was also lined with motorcycles.
“We’re here to do an honor to the ones who never made it home, and if I can come back next year, I’ll come back next year,” Army veteran Robert Willis said.
