Jan. 6 Attendee Wants Belleville Street Renamed For Donald Trump

BELLEVILLE, NJ — A former Congress candidate from New Jersey who was at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 wants his hometown to rename a road in honor of President Donald Trump.

Joe Belnome – who ran for Congress as a Republican in New Jersey’s 11th District last year – made his pitch during the public comment portion of last week’s Belleville Township Council meeting.

His suggestion? Rename Washington Avenue to “President Donald J. Trump Avenue.”

According to Belnome, the goal is to honor the 45th and 47th president of the United States for his “unparalleled contributions” to the American people, including “advancing policies of economic growth, national security and patriotic pride.”

Belnome said that renaming a street for Trump would celebrate America First policies that strengthen Belleville’s “patriotic identity.”

It might also help to boost tourism in the area, he suggested.

Since Washington Avenue is also a state road, Belleville would need to work with New Jersey officials to make it happen, Belnome noted. See Related: Chaos On Washington; Belleville Sees Traffic ‘Nightmare’

“I’m not sure how president [George] Washington is going to feel about that,” Mayor Michael Melham commented after Belnome’s speech, setting off a round of laughter.

The mayor added that if Belnome can confirm Trump’s participation, the council may be open to considering the proposal.

Belnome, a Newark native and Belleville resident, ran for a U.S. House of Representatives seat in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District in 2024. He secured the endorsements of the Republican committees in Essex, Morris and Passaic counties and triumphed in the primary election, but lost to incumbent Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill in the general election.

“The momentum for America First candidates is stronger than ever in New Jersey and throughout the USA,” Belnome said after his primary election win.

That prediction proved partially correct when – despite an overall win for Kamala Harris in New Jersey – Trump managed to flip five counties from blue to red.

• See Related: Trump Wins National Race, But Harris Wins In New Jersey
• See Related: 5 NJ Counties Flip Red In Trump Vs. Harris Race (See Breakdown)

Belnome was among the thousands of Donald Trump supporters who marched to the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 in protest of Joe Biden’s electoral victory. Belnome claims to have “peacefully marched” that day and says that he wasn’t one of the people who rioted or breached the building. He added that he hasn’t been charged with a crime, NJ Advance Media previously reported. Read More: NJ Congress Candidate Attended Jan. 6 Protest, Report Says

During last year’s Congress race, Rep. Sherrill brought up Belnome’s association with the now-infamous event, calling him “January 6 Joe” and labeling him as a “proud MAGA extremist.”

For his part, the former Congressional candidate hasn’t been shy about his support for Trump, once saying that going to a rally for the former president felt like taking a “vacation.” That support has continued, with Belnome recently posting photos and videos of Trump’s inauguration on social media.

Sharing video footage of his town council appearance, Belnome urged other New Jersey residents to “join this movement” and ask their local elected officials to name a street after Trump. Other government bodies – such as the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners – have passed similar resolutions, he pointed out.

Several people agreed on social media.

“That is a very good idea to name a street after president Donald J. Trump, thank you Joe,” one commenter wrote. “I hope it happens.”

Other local residents have been less enthusiastic about the idea.

The Belleville Watch blog called Belnome’s proposal “laughable.”

“Belleville has been at the forefront of America's many historical epochs, such as the Industrial Revolution,” a recent social media post from the blog said. “If we want to encourage tourism and historic preservation, we can focus on that. I don't think renaming a street after a modern president will increase tourism to Belleville.”

“Perhaps Seditionist Joe Belnome can also recommend annual reenactment of the January 6 Capitol Attack by leading an assault on our Town Hall,” commented Michael Sheldon, a former school board member.

Watch footage of Belnome's presentation from the Jan. 28 council meeting below (video is cued to his statement).

TRUMP’S JANUARY 6 PARDONS

As one of his first acts in office, the president pardoned more than 1,500 people charged in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, including 46 from New Jersey. Read More: Dozens Of Jan. 6 Defendants From NJ Pardoned In Trump’s First Official Act

Some have said the pardons should go even further, including Rob Coppotelli, a Toms River resident who had pleaded guilty in September to being disorderly and disruptive in a Capitol building and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.

“Every single Jan. 6er deserves full expungements across the board,” Coppotelli said at a news conference he called on Jan. 10 on the steps of the federal courthouse in Newark.

Others have bashed the pardons.

State Sen. John McKeon (NJ-27), a Democrat, accused Trump of sending a “dangerous message” that political violence and attempts to overturn the will of the people are acceptable.

State Sen. Jon Bramnick (NJ-21) – a Republican candidate for New Jersey governor in 2025 – also issued a statement denouncing the pardons.

“Those convicted of violent actions against cops include Ryan Nichols who pleaded guilty to assaulting officers, David Dempsey who beat officers with a metal crutch and wooden poles and Daniel Rodriguez who used a stun gun multiple times on a police officer should remain in jail,” Bramnick argued.

“Republicans are proud to support law enforcement but if we are to remain consistent in that message, we cannot condone any violence against police – especially through presidential pardons,” he added.

• See Related: Democrats From Essex County Bash Trump's Jan. 6 Pardons

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