'It literally is a free country and that is the point,' Mad Dog PAC chair says about billboard

Record ID: 1824425

  • Title: 'It literally is a free country and that is the point,' Mad Dog PAC chair says about billboard
  • Date: 21st June 2024
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIR OF MAD DOG PAC, CLAUDE TAYLOR. SAYING: "We decided to do a billboard, in Miami. We do billboards in eight battleground states. We've done a hundred, so far in 2024. This was our first Spanish-language billboard. So I thought, what better place to try to provoke a little conversation than Miami? So, guess what? It kind of worked, didn't it?" BILL
  • Embargoed: 6th July 2024 00:48
  • Keywords: america billboard castro cuban dictator election miami trump
  • Location: MIAMI, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES
  • City: MIAMI, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES
  • Country: US
  • Topics: North America,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001275021062024RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:In Miami, Florida, a billboard featuring Donald Trump and Fidel Castro has generated significant debate. Installed by Mad Dog PAC, this Spanish-language billboard is part of a campaign targeting battleground states to raise concerns about potential dictatorship.
    Claude Taylor, chair of Mad Dog PAC, stated that the billboard aims to alert the Cuban-American community to the risks of authoritarianism, drawing comparisons to 1959 Cuba.
    "We don't like dictators. I don't care if they call them socialists like Fidel Castro or, a right-wing authoritarian like Donald Trump. Fascist. They're both fascists," he said.
    Local Trump supporters have criticized the billboard. John, a Florida resident, argues that it unfairly equates Trump with Castro and believes it inadvertently boosts Trump's publicity. Mauricio Echeverry, another Trump supporter, rejects the comparison, emphasizing that Trump is not a communist and expressing his continued support for Trump.
    "I'm afraid to go to Washington, D.C. because if I go to Washington D.C., I know who's running the show. And it's not me. It's not my people. It's not America," John said.
    The billboard has highlighted the significant political divisions in Miami. As the 2024 presidential race heats up, this controversy is a precursor to the intense discussions expected in the upcoming CNN debate in Atlanta. Both sides are preparing for a contentious election season, with the billboard serving as a flashpoint in the ongoing battle over the direction of the country.
    (Production by: Maria Alejandra Cardona)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2024. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: Footage contains photographs or artwork. User is responsible for obtaining additional clearances before publishing this clip.
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