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cbabe

(7,051 posts)
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 10:34 AM Jun 27

North Carolina exhibit: Confederate flag display at Great American State Fair ignites firestorm

https://www.rawstory.com/confederate-flag-great-american-state-fair/

Confederate flag display at Great American State Fair ignites firestorm

A Confederate flag display at the Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C. was under fire on Friday, according to reports

The flag was part of an interactive exhibit for North Carolina and shared in a viral video shared on X by Reuben Jones, Spectrum News Washington Correspondent.

"I stopped by the North Carolina booth at the 'Great American State Fair' on the National Mall today. The state decided not to participate because of the high costs so the booth is sponsored by private orgs," Jones wrote.

His video panned around the room, showing multiple Confederate flags on television screens mounted to the display's walls.

… more … state says flag was ‘unapproved’ …

(So official state booth gave unofficial approval?)




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North Carolina exhibit: Confederate flag display at Great American State Fair ignites firestorm (Original Post) cbabe Jun 27 OP
It's the Great White American Fair? dem4decades Jun 27 #1
That sounds like bs dweller Jun 27 #2
Yes. Probably someone's cousin or bro-in-law raking in the bucks. cbabe Jun 27 #3
Private orgs dweller Jun 27 #4
Thanks. They should all apologize on bended knee like cbabe Jun 27 #5
Lorie Khatod dweller Jun 27 #6
I read about her...she's pretty much ME ME ME CurtEastPoint Jun 27 #13
Yep dweller Jun 27 #14
but isn't she PURDY and she LOVES HER SOME JEEBUS. I'm sure.... CurtEastPoint Jun 27 #15
If you've lost Mt. Olive Pickle Company... yardwork Jun 27 #8
That is correct. NASCAR and other businesses funded this booth. yardwork Jun 27 #7
Implied consent by the state. cbabe Jun 27 #9
Depends on what you mean by "the state." yardwork Jun 27 #10
From Josh Stein dweller Jun 27 #11
NC opted out of the event. Then the GOP put up a dixie flag at the "NC exhibit." struggle4progress Jun 27 #12
Do you want to really piss them off? Tell them this is the original "Rebel Flag"!! mitch96 Jun 27 #16
MaddowBlog-Trump wants people to 'appreciate' his Great American State Fair flop LetMyPeopleVote Thursday #17

dweller

(29,026 posts)
2. That sounds like bs
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 10:49 AM
Jun 27

It states NC did not participate.
Some private org is responsible for the flag .
Article should report the private org’s identity and credit them with the display .



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cbabe

(7,051 posts)
3. Yes. Probably someone's cousin or bro-in-law raking in the bucks.
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 10:51 AM
Jun 27

Also one got caught. Boycott starting in 1 - 2 - 3 …

“One of the booth sponsors, Mt. Olive Pickle Company, said it was ending its participation at the event. “

dweller

(29,026 posts)
4. Private orgs
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 10:57 AM
Jun 27

The primary private organizations and companies involved in the exhibit include:Lorie Khatod: A strategic consultant who volunteered to organize and coordinate the privately funded N.C. pavilion.
SPEVCO: A specialized manufacturing and custom-trailer company based in North Carolina that provided the custom exhibition trailer.
Richard Childress Racing (RCR): Provided an exhibit featuring the No. 3 NASCAR race car and racing simulators.
Operation Helo: A volunteer-driven disaster relief group from Cornelius, N.C., that provided display materials regarding their relief efforts.Note:
The Mt. Olive Pickle Company was initially a financial backer of the exhibit but officially severed all ties and withdrew its participation after an image of a Confederate flag appeared in a video inside the booth, which was subsequently condemned by state leaders.



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dweller

(29,026 posts)
6. Lorie Khatod
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 11:09 AM
Jun 27

Was Rep Nancy Mace ‘s previous chief of staff (2023-24)

These private orgs all self appointed to rep NC at the fair

😑


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yardwork

(70,162 posts)
8. If you've lost Mt. Olive Pickle Company...
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 11:17 AM
Jun 27

That company is based in Deepest Red NC and has a long history of exploiting migrant and Black workers.

Also their products taste terrible.

yardwork

(70,162 posts)
7. That is correct. NASCAR and other businesses funded this booth.
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 11:15 AM
Jun 27

North Carolina declined to participate in this debacle. Our Democratic governor said no and our Republican state legislature refused to appropriate funds. It was a bipartisan rebuke.

So NASCAR and some other businesses stepped in to fund the booth. I am not surprised to hear that the booth features the Confederate flag.

yardwork

(70,162 posts)
10. Depends on what you mean by "the state."
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 11:24 AM
Jun 27

Our liberal Democratic governor and his administration have nothing to do with this. The Republican-controlled state legislature refused to provide the funds required to participate.

It sounds like this weird state fair thing didn't require any official sign offs - literally anybody could show up and claim their state's booth.

(For the record, Republicans in NC are currently angry with the Trump administration for withholding FEMA funds to help areas devastated by hurricanes. Not coincidentally, those regions are Republican strongholds.)

dweller

(29,026 posts)
11. From Josh Stein
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 12:03 PM
Jun 27

BREAKING: Josh Stein Rips Trump's Fair Over Confederate Flag Stunt

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein is calling out Trump's Great American State Fair after the North Carolina pavilion was caught displaying the state flag altered with the Confederate "Southern Cross."

Stein's office did not hold back, saying the display does not reflect the North Carolina that people love and accusing organizers of glorifying a divisive symbol while pretending the fair is about unity.

His office demanded the organizers stop dishonoring the flag of North Carolina, full stop.

Historians backed him up immediately, confirming that North Carolina's flag has never once incorporated the Confederate battle flag in its 165 year history, which means the distortion was no accident.

The pressure worked fast. One of the booth's own corporate sponsors, Mt. Olive Pickle Company, pulled its support entirely once it saw what Stein was calling out.

North Carolina had already skipped sending an official delegation to Trump's fair in the first place, and this is exactly why.


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struggle4progress

(127,352 posts)
12. NC opted out of the event. Then the GOP put up a dixie flag at the "NC exhibit."
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 12:20 PM
Jun 27

It's the Great American Shitshow

LetMyPeopleVote

(184,540 posts)
17. MaddowBlog-Trump wants people to 'appreciate' his Great American State Fair flop
Thu Jul 2, 2026, 12:58 PM
Thursday

The president is looking for public gratitude in the wake of failure. He is likely to wait a long while.

It’s a problem that Trump’s “Great American State Fair” is an embarrassing flop.

Watching him ask people to “appreciate” his failure, however, makes the problem worse.
www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-06-30T20:15:06.252Z

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/great-american-state-fair-2026-trump-flop

When Trump headlined his own event last week to kick off the festivities, turnout was abysmal, and many attendees were seen leaving in the middle of the president’s campaign-style speech.

In the days that followed, the troubles intensified. NOTUS reported:

The 110-foot-tall Ferris wheel, a main attraction at the Great American State Fair for the country’s 250th anniversary, shut down for a couple of hours due to lack of power. The ice cream melted, but Iowa’s butter cow survived. And a display of the Confederate flag was removed from North Carolina’s booth after Gov. Josh Stein condemned the vendor for putting it up.[/blockquote]

The same report referred to “power outages” and “almost-empty or understaffed booths” before adding, “Rodeos and baby farm animals drew crowds but the fair appeared sparsely attended; there were no lines to get in, the lawn was fairly void of people and entertainers outnumbered guests at points.”

....Fox News has done its part to try to promote the gathering, even broadcasting live from the fair, but that apparently hasn’t helped. It’s easy to see the absence of attendees behind the on-air hosts and guests.

Every Fox News live shot today from Trump's post-rapture-like fair on the National Mall has been hilarious. Here's a supercut:

Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-06-29T21:12:57.959Z

And did I mention that the event features a poorly made replica of the “triumphal” arch that Trump is so excited about? Because that’s an issue, too.

Everyone is talking about Trump’s mock up arch at the Great American State Fair, so I filmed it from top to bottom and front to back for everyone who can’t see it in person.

amanda moore 🐢 (@noturtlesoup17.bsky.social) 2026-06-28T21:11:48.282Z


.....But it’s not quite that simple. For one thing, he’s the one who helped turned the event into a partisan affair. For another, he’s also the one urging people to “appreciate” his failure.
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