Every weekday since the beginning of October, a retired software designer living in the D.C. area, has stood on the corner of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW—the closest cars can drive by the White House—with a simple vigil.
From about 7:30 a.m. to the end of morning rush hour, Julian, who is in his mid-70s, holds a large poster board sign declaring “HONK TO THANK THE WHISTLEBLOWERS” (he added the “S” following further revelations of multiple whistleblowers).
His new tradition began after news broke that a whistleblower made a formal complaint in August to express concerns about a phone call between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelinskiy. That complaint serves as the basis for the current impeachment inquiry in Congress.
Julian braves the wind (“If it gets about 15 or 20 miles an hour I start to feel like the mast on a small sailboat,” he says), and his own body’s limits (a stumble on the Metro escalators after an ankle-stiffening 3-hour shift caused a tear in his sign, which is now reinforced with cardboard).
When we meet at a downtown coffee shop, he takes out a gift card that a passerby had shoved into his back pocket. He says it’s not the first time that’s happened.
DCist sat down with Julian, who only wants to give his first name for fear of reprisals (more on that later), to understand why he’s taken this stand. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Why do you do it?
I guess it got to the point where I couldn’t not do it. I don’t know how else to express it. I protested against Nixon and the Vietnam War and I thought we were done with crooks by then.
My wife worked as an HR director in a government agency, and part of her job was to counsel potential whistleblowers and tell them the truth about what could happen. Say, “Here are the risks,” because, although you are protected, there are so many ways around the law.
I know what these people are up against when they decide to do it, and I know what incredible courage and patriotism it takes to stand up and risk your career, and—in this environment—potentially risk your life.
What has the reaction from the public been?
The trucks and the buses honking are wonderful—they are so loud. The cars go by and people give the thumbs up. Pedestrians will come up and say, “If I had a horn I would honk.”
One woman stopped in the middle of the intersection, took a cellphone picture, put her hand over her heart and said, “I love you.” And it’s things like that that really keep you going.
People come up and say the nicest things. People from foreign countries are really interested, too. I’ve had to help translate the word “Honk” for both a Frenchman and a German on separate occasions, had to explain whistleblower law to a woman from Sweden. People want selfies. And sometimes the response is very subtle: sometimes, people will just come by and give me a little thumbs up.
Overall, I would say the reaction has been 98 percent positive.
And on the negative side?
Well most of us go around for most of our lives without having someone come up and give you the finger. Or yell something nasty right in your face.
The first day, I had been there less than an hour and this guy came up and yelled at me for two minutes at least about how I was brainwashed and mentally abused by the media, and about how Trump was going to be around five more years and just went on and on and on and it was a little scary.
He actually must work around here because he came by the next day and yelled at me the second day and thereafter he would just come by and say something nasty. People who do react negatively have very vehement anger.
I had Irish grandparents and when I was four, they gave me a pair of boxing gloves. Their phrase for resolving problems was “Poke him in the nose,” and I thought back and I realized that if you get in a fight you’ve got to expect to get hit.
Lately people have been yelling, “Get a job!” which puzzles me. Apparently that’s an insult. I just yell back, “Good morning—nice to see you again!”
What does your family think about your stand?
The response has been wonderful. My wife is extremely supportive and my daughter, who’s off in grad school, sends me wonderfully supportive texts.
You came to the District in the late ’60s. So how does the Washington of today compare to the time of Nixon?
The Nixon era we thought was bad, but he looks like a statesman by comparison [to Trump]. I mean the man resigned when he realized that everything was against him. Trump just doubles down. Who knows—he might win the election.
The difference between Nixon and now: There was no Fox News and no electronic media like Facebook.
How do you get your news? Do you have a regular routine?
Oh the usual: Washington Post, New York Times, MSNBC, CNN.
Occasionally I do look at Fox News and when I’m in my car I will occasionally turn on AM radio and listen to the hate broadcasts, just to hear what’s out there. And it’s horrible.
Are there any reporters you follow in particular?
Well, Rachel Maddow. She just nails it every night.
Hundreds of Trump administration staffers must walk by you and see you every day, do you have anything to say to them?
I don’t know: “Come to the light?” [laughs] I’m not sure.
Do you have anything to say to President Trump?
I’m not sure I would be able … I mean, it’s pointless to talk to him. His brain is something that most people never ever run across. Even the accusations against his rivals is just him, projecting. He’s totally self contained. It must be horrible.
Finally, is there anything you’d like people seeing your sign to do?
Just honk! The louder it is, the more Trump hears it. The whole thing is that the whistleblowers are seeing the sign and knowing that people are supportive of the incredible risk they are taking.
