Editor's Note: The phrase "cult following" was used by Jeffrey Stroehmann, an admin of the Susquehanna River Trump Rally and Boat Regatta and the Lycoming County for Trump 2020 Facebook pages, to describe the large number of people who follow the sign on social media. Per the Collins Dictionary, "cult following" means, "the admiration that is felt by a particular group for a film, book, band, etc." The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of NorthcentralPa.com.
Upper Fairfield Township, Pa. – Big Bertha, a larger-than-life Trump sign with a local "cult following," recently sustained an estimated $5,000 in damage, said Jeffrey Stroehmann of Lycoming County.
Red spray paint was used to vandalize a Trump billboard in Upper Fairfield Township, Lycoming County, on Saturday. Source:Susquehanna River Trump Rally and Boat Regatta
Bertha was vandalized with red spray paint in the 2700 block of Route 87, Upper Fairfield Township, between 10 p.m. last night and daylight this morning, according to Stroehmann.
"It can't be repaired, it has to be replaced," said Stroehmann, an administrator of the Susquehanna River Trump Rally and Boat Regatta Facebook page.
The perpetrator or perpetrators covered the sign's lights with plastic bags, he said.
"It definitely was not a random drive-by thing. It was something that was pretty well planned," Stroehmann said.
Three of the tires on the trailer used to transport Big Bertha were slashed, he said, and a "V" symbol was painted over Trump's face.
Three tires were slashed on the trailer used to haul a larger-than-life Trump campaign sign on Saturday. Source:Susquehanna River Trump Rally and Boat Regatta
"The nature of the symbol, without getting into too much detail, was concerning to the state police," Stroehmann said.
The sign originally was paid for by an anonymous donor.
"A lot of people are very concerned about what the future of the sign may be. At this point, it's unknown whether it's going to be the end to the sign of whether we're going to reincarnate it," Stroehmann said.
Red spray paint was used to vandalize a Trump billboard in Upper Fairfield Township, Lycoming County, on Saturday. Source:Susquehanna River Trump Rally and Boat Regatta
More information about local Trump happenings is posted on the Lycoming County for Trump 2020 Facebook page.
