Secret Service Investigating Democratic Party Buttons At Ohio Fair: ‘Is He Dead Yet?’
Ashland County Democratic Party booth shut down after complaints about ‘overtly threatening’ messages directed at the president
The U.S. Secret Service has been asked to investigate an incident at the Ashland County Fair in Ohio after the local Democratic Party was ejected for distributing political buttons with messages that some officials deemed threatening toward President Donald Trump, such as “Is He Dead Yet?”
As first reported by local FOX 8, the controversy began when the Ashland County Fair board received complaints about the buttons, which were being distributed at the Democratic Party’s booth, located across from the Republican Party’s booth.
According to Ashland County Sheriff Kurt Schneider, one of the buttons in question was a red ball cap with the word “Felon” across the top, along with other phrases like “Is he dead yet?” and innuendos about the president’s obituary.
“We are referring to the president of the United States,” Sheriff Schneider said. He has since sent the matter to the U.S. Secret Service to determine if any criminal activity has occurred. “Whether or not they do anything is their decision,” Schneider said.
Fair officials, including Ashland County Fair President Martin Wesner, told Fox 8 the political buttons violated rules for exhibitors and created an unwelcome atmosphere.
“We don’t condone anything of that nature at all,” Wesner said. “I mean, there is free speech in this world, but the county fair and what we are trying to here with all the kids is not the place.” After the Democratic Party booth refused to stop distributing the buttons, they were asked to shut down and leave the fairgrounds.
In a statement released Friday, the Ashland County Democratic Party asserted that their ejection was for “strictly political reasons” and a “grave threat to our democracy.”
The party’s statement acknowledged that some felt the buttons were “in poor taste,” especially given the high emotions following the Charlie Kirk assassination. However, the party maintained that the use of law enforcement to suppress political speech at a local community event was an attack on foundational principles.
Fair president Wesner, however, defended the decision to Fox 8, stating that the action was not political but aimed at maintaining a family-friendly environment. He noted that other vendors have been asked to remove inappropriate items in the past, regardless of their political affiliation.
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