A billboard in Chico stirred up some controversy as it depicted Donald Trump dressed in a Nazi uniform, standing alongside the swastika-inspired anti-45 logo that became popular shortly after the election.
According to KRON 4's report, the ad belongs to Rouse and Revolt, a local secondhand clothing store. Their logo is presented prominently alongside the depiction of Trump as a Nazi, framing twin mushroom clouds. The store's owner, Nicholle Lewis, spoke with Newsweek about the reaction to the billboard, which has been mostly negative. "I’m living in a small, podunk red town and I'm already getting death threats,” said Lewis. "My business has completely floundered. Overnight I had more one-star reviews than all the reviews I’ve received in a year." Newsweek also pointed out that Chico is a town with a population of 90,000, with many leaning to the right.
After numerous complaints from residents, the company who owns the advertising space, Stott Outdoor Advertising, took down the ad. Newsweek also spoke with Jim Moravec, the general manager for the ad company, who said, "I should have not accepted the ad in the first place."
Still, despite the backlash, Lewis seems to have some supporters. In a video report from Action News Now, the local news affiliate, one interviewee said, "My first reaction, honestly, was shock. I couldn't believe it. But as I sit here and look at it, I think it's bold, and I think it's courageous, and for Chico... I'm impressed with Rouse and Revolt." Another expressed a more mixed opinion, saying, "I guess it's cool they're, like, taking a stance and trying to promote, but I just... that's not the way to do it." A quick scroll through the store's Facebook page also turns up some more heated comments. As well, the store's Yelp page is currently blocked off from further reviews as Yelp goes about an "active cleanup" to remove posts based on the news rather than customer experience.
Additionally, Action News Now turned up a Facebook post from Lewis that features the image. The post reads, in part: "We support equality, we support equal rights, we support a woman's right to her own body, we support DACA, we support universal health care, we support gay people in any Place they live. We welcome all races, all religions, all countries of origin, all genders and we not only STAND with you, we kneel with you as well."
This isn't the first anti-Trump billboard to go up in northern California in recent weeks. Last Monday, a billboard calling for Trump's impeachment popped up next to the eastern span of the Bay Bridge. It was taken down after numerous complaints from observers, only to be put back up again to serve out the rest of its contract, which ended this past Sunday.
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