A Vermont man whose Trump 2020 flag was removed and burned by vandals last year has a replacement, and he raised it with a bit of fanfare.
Gus Klein told WCAX-TV that his family received death threats after he spoke up about the incident in November, but also a call from the president's campaign headquarters promising to replace the flag. That took some time, but it eventually arrived, along with shirts, bumper stickers and a hat signed by the president and vice president.
Klein put up the new flag at his Burlington home on Saturday, accompanied by bagpipe music. About 50 people attended the flag-raising, advocating for freedom of speech.
Police have said two teenagers were responsible for the vandalism, and their cases were being handled by an alternative justice program. Klein says he'd like to meet the teens and tell them the case serves as a lesson to stay respectful, even if you disagree with someone's views.
"It may have been a bad action on the girls’ part, but as you can see today, it has been a positive turnout," Klein said. "It took a negative and brought it into a positive."
