Man Already in Trouble for 'Trump Won' Banner Unfurls Another One Right Next to It
A Florida man who is already in hot water with his county’s code enforcement officials over a giant banner, which proclaims former President Donald Trump won the 2020 election, has doubled down by adding a second flag to his property.
A nearly three-story banner, which reads “Let’s Go Brandon,” now joins a banner that has been in place since May, which states boldly: “Trump Won.”
Seagrove Beach in Walton County sits on the state’s beautiful Emerald Coast along the Gulf of Mexico in the panhandle. The community brags crystal clear water and white sand beaches, and it is known for two things: tourism and its conservative voting population.
But despite the political leanings of most Walton County voters, Walton County Code Enforcement officials are peeved at one Mr. Marvin Peavy for displaying his political beliefs with the banners.
Last month, the county ordered him to pay $50 for every day the Trump banner was displayed on his home. He never took it down.
This week, he added the other banner.
Walton County Code Enforcement is now fining him for each day he displays the banners, which he said violates his right to free speech. https://t.co/C2R33Xffpq
— Bob Mueller (@bobmuellerwkrn) November 2, 2021
“Let’s Go Brandon” now joins the Trump banner, and predictably, county officials are up in arms about that signage as well. Threats of more fines don’t bother him, he told WMBB-TV.
“I’m here on the beach, and I got a lot of traffic, and people needed to see what I believe in,” he said. “That’s free speech, and I wanted everyone to know that I’m a republican and I’m supporting Donald Trump.”
Walton County officials said that what is on the banners isn’t the issue, it’s just that they violate a land use code. That position, as well as the fines, haven’t stopped people from sharing their support for the outspoken conservative.
WMBB reported one woman from out of state offered to pay all of Peavy’s fines for a two-year period. Others have offered him plenty of moral support.
Tabitha Howard, a woman who supports Peavy, told WMBB, “I had attended the code enforcement meeting when this was brought up, and I was quite shocked when they said they were going to fine him $50 a day for a banner that’s on his private property.”
A county Republican Party official said Peavy’s refusal to back down has earned him support.
“People admire people that stand up, and we have got to start standing up,” Walton County Republican Executive Committee chair Bill Fletcher said. “He is the epitome of somebody that will stand up for his First Amendment right.”
That’s a First Amendment right that Peavy doesn’t intend to surrender. He said he has no plans to remove either banner, and a scheduled hearing for the fines later this month doesn’t seem to intimidate him.
You have to respect Peavy’s commitment to expressing himself, even after nearly a year of the Democratic Party machine’s attempts to break everyday Americans. With one banner already earning him mounting fines every day, why not add another one?
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