Massachusetts man arrested for allegedly painting swastika on Trump campaign sign

BOSTON — A Cohasset man has been arrested for allegedly painting a swastika onto a Trump campaign sign sitting along a public road in town.

The defaced sign is the property of Kevin O’Donnell, the 77-year-old co-chair of the Republican Town Committee and a longstanding supporter of former President Donald Trump.

Police arrested 74-year-old Frederic Laidlaw, who was in Quincy district court on Thursday for arraignment on a felony charge of “defacement of property,” Cohasset Police Chief William Quigley said in a statement.

“Cohasset police allege that Laidlaw entered onto private property and painted a swastika on a political sign on Wednesday October 30th,” Quigley wrote.

O’Connell told the Herald that the sign — which cost him about $200 — for the last three elections has been on land he owns next to busy Route 3A, with no previous problems.

He also said that he has to wonder if the person who decided to deface it even realizes the imagery they are conjuring when they use a symbol most closely associated with the Nazi government of Germany.

“It’s shocking, absolutely shocking,” he said. “Do they understand how many people died because of that ideology?”

O’Connell said recent comments by President Joe Biden, in which he appeared to call Trump supporters “garbage,” and other accusations of fascism coming from Vice President Kamala Harris, are partially to blame for the lowered-level of political discourse.

“I think it’s a result of the propaganda that’s been coming out Kamala Harris and Joe BIden calling half of America garbage. Democratic voters are listening to that,” he said.

Biden has denied he meant to call Trump’s supporters “garbage” but that he was referring to “Trump’s supporter’s rhetoric.”

MassGOP Chairwoman Amy Carnevale said that Laidlaw’s alleged invocation of Nazi symbolism isn’t acceptable, labeling the use of the swastika “a hate crime.”

“The swastika is a symbol that represents the absolute worst moments in the history of the Jewish people. It is a symbol that represents the murder of 6 million Jews. To place it on the banner of the most pro-Jewish and pro-Israel president in modern history does nothing more than further insult the memory of those Jews who were murdered and continued to be persecuted for their religious identity,” she said in a statement.

Carnevale also laid the blame at the feet of Democratic lawmakers and candidates and their choice of language.

“When prominent political figures employ extreme rhetoric —labeling Republicans as ‘fascists’ or ‘Nazis’ — they contribute to a climate that invites this kind of crime into our communities. There is no place for antisemitism in our nation, and we sincerely hope that the individual responsible for this heinous act is swiftly brought to justice,” she said.

A Facebook account which appears to belong to Laidlaw and which hasn’t been updated publicly since 2011 includes posts which seem to indicate his support of former President Barack Obama.

The Trump campaign did not return a request for comment.

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