A high school band from rural Maine on its way back from helping kick off Republican President Donald Trump’s inaugural festivities has been at the center of a clash between leading members of the state’s Green Independent Party
Band Director Jon Meiklejohn (“mickel-john”) says with no time to prepare, the Madawaska band of about 29 members on Thursday started off its performance with a rendition of the state’s official march: Dirigo March.
Meiklejohn is also secretary of the Green Independent Party. Two members who have run for political office said they were switching to the Socialist Party USA, in part because the party didn’t hold Meiklejohn “accountable” for “supporting Trump.”
But Meiklejohn said he just wanted to give his kids — many of whom he said supported Hillary Clinton — the chance to be a part of history.
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