Billboards in Pennsylvania messaging “Making the Taliban Great Again”

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On Wednesday, a former Pennsylvania state senator informed a news outlet that he has put up around 15 billboards locally with a photo of President Joe Biden in military gear alongside the message “Making the Taliban Great Again”. Scott Wagner is a Republican who represented a district that includes York County from 2014 to 2018. He wrote in an email that he has many reasons for sharing the message across Pennsylvania. He said, “The pull-out rushed through by President Biden had made us the laughing stock of the world. The Taliban are openly stating that they ran the United States out of Afghanistan. They are now very emboldened”. Wagner added that the freedoms young people have experienced since we landed in their country will be taken away now that the Taliban is in control.

Wagner also said he has met hundreds of veterans during his time in the Pennsylvania State Senate. He said, “What do we say to families who lost loved ones in the Middle East, the country these people served and died for left Afghanistan with its tail between its legs. It seems that President Biden was hell-bent on rushing out of Afghanistan, his ego, and lack of information is going to prove to be very bad for the United States”. Wagner also said that the billboards will be up for 2-months. Point to be noted that if you have driven along Interstate 83 in York County lately, chances are you’ve seen a giant billboard that features President Joe Biden in a military outfit along with the phrase “Making the Taliban Great Again”.

Moreover, an advertising company Trone Outdoor Advertising is operating billboard advertising in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware. The advertising company is responsible for operating and organizing advertisements, but it is not responsible for what is included in the advertisements that are displayed. The Vice President of Trone Outdoor, Brian Scott said, “The individual that is responsible for the billboard is (former Pennsylvania State Senator) Scott Wagner. He gave us permission to make it known that he was responsible for the billboard”. It is noteworthy that The Outdoor Advertising Control Act of 1971 (Federal Law) and Title 67, PA Code, Chapter 445 (PA Commonwealth Regulation) do not regulate or control billboard advertising content. Generally, advertising content is protected by the First Amendment under the US Constitution.