A Pennsylvania parade float depicting Democratic nominee Kamala Harris chained behind a truck with former President Donald Trump at the helm sparked outrage among residents and officials who compared the display to a lynching.
The float appeared last Thursday in a children’s Halloween parade in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, where its presence left attendees stunned, with some describing the assemblage as a simulated lynching.
The effigy of Harris was an actual person, dressed in a pantsuit and wearing the same hairstyle as the vice president, while walking slowly behind the float in handcuffs tied to a rope.
The float immediately drew comparisons to the 1998 slaying of James Byrd Jr., a Black man who was horrifically dragged to his death behind a pickup truck in Texas by three white supremacists, leading to the establishment of state and federal hate crime laws.
“It’s a hot political season, probably not something I’d want at a children’s parade,” Josh Huff, a resident of Mount Pleasant, told WPXI Channel 11, saying the float reminded him of a lynching.
Mount Pleasant Mayor Diane Bailey said that she was also appalled, adding that the city has been rushing to manage the fallout since the parade.
“The worst part of it was that there was either a rope or a chain attached to the back of the vehicle, and there was a woman who was to resemble Kamala Harris in handcuffs and chained to the back of the vehicle as though they were dragging her,” Bailey said.
A parade attendee filmed the moment when the float rolled by and sent the video to a local news station.
Surrounding the float were several individuals dressed as Secret Service agents. Inside the cart was someone wearing a mask of former President Donald Trump, while a makeshift sniper was perched on top of the golf cart vehicle.
“This is not a good look, this is simulating a lynching down Main Street in Mount Pleasant. It is not the community I grew up in, not the community I came back to,” Huff said. “It was dark. It was dark. This has been escalated way beyond what it should be.”
Huff questioned who authorized the vulgar display to be featured in a children’s parade.
“Somebody in power had to say hey, yeah, that’s fine. That’s OK,” he said.
When asked how the float got approved, Mayor Bailey told Channel 11, “That is a legitimate question, and I cannot answer that totally.”
She stated that she would arrange a meeting with the borough manager and council president, and she may involve the Westmoreland County solicitor to get to the bottom of who was responsible.
“Right now we’re just trying to do damage control the best we can, but after it’s already done I’m not sure that there’s much we can do except for going forward,” she said. “This needs to stop. In this country, this needs to stop.”
Bill Bretz, the Westmoreland County Republican Committee chair, issued a statement to Channel 11, saying, “We certainly don’t condone the simulation of political imprisonment or violence in any context no matter the party affiliation of those involved.”
Mount Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department also issued an apology on its Facebook for “for allowing the offensive participants” to take part in the parade.
Adding, “We do not share in the values represented by those participants, and we understand how it may have hurt or offended members of our community.”
News reports about the incident caught the attention of some social media influencers, who shared video of the episode and took aim at Republicans for stooping to a new low.
“It’s ONLY One Side That Goes This Far! Make Up Whatever Excuse U Want! In My Eyes U Are To Me What Your Actions Show!!! An Y’all Are The Bottom Of The F*ckin Barrel!!!” wrote Plies, whose comedic posts on Instagram feature colorful commentary on politics and everyday life. “This Actually Happen In Pennsylvania Last Night! F*ckin Disgusting!! VOTE People!!!”
Other voices on the comments thread criticized the news reporter for calling the disturbing display “politically themed.”
“Nah It’s racist, threatening, and terroristic! Let’s call it what it is,” one person wrote. Another added, “Republicans are despicable scum.”
Another person noted, “Hillary was right. A bunch of deplorables,” then finished the point with the sad emoji.
Another voice used the incident to explain why they would be voting against Trump on Tuesday.
“It’s not just Trump we’re voting against, we’re voting against people who would do something like this and think it’s normal and acceptable cause trust me if they’ll simulate a public lynching , they’ll do much worse with time. Vote blue for your nation and let’s rebuild.”
Many commenters echoed Harris’ campaign pledge to turn the page on the hate and divisiveness that has dominated politics since Trump came on the scene in 2016.
“I’m lost for words but not shocked at all,” one person wrote. “This is the bs that he, Donald trump, has made them feel so comfortable with doing voting for him will only continue to push us Back in history it will never make America great it will only make it worse and i guarantee him or Vance is gonna say America can’t take a joke ! This sh—t is not a joke, it’s always a joke to them when it’s people of color and it blows my mind that other ppl can’t see that and still want to vote for him smh.”
