Flag-flying Trump supporter sues Long Beach: 'I believe the city is trying to silence me"

"It’s not a political case. It’s not the contents of the message. it’s where he had it — it’s a public street," the town’s lawyer told the New York Post.

By Alex Nitzberg

Published: June 20, 2021 11:30am

Updated: June 20, 2021 1:59pm

Michael Wasserman, a Trump supporter who publicly broadcasts his views via bumper stickers and flags, lodged a $25 million suit against the City of Long Beach, the chief of police, the city manager and some specific police officers.

The New York Post reported that the town claimed that the flags ran afoul of an ordinance that "[No] sign shall be erected, affixed or maintained within the perimeter of any … public street or public property."

"They’re bending and massaging the ordinance to fit the crime," Wasserman, who parks his vehicle on a public street, told the outlet. "This is a blatant attempt to silence me."

"I believe the city is trying to silence me because I’m pro-Trump," he told the Post.

But the town’s lawyer, Howard M. Miller, told the Post that the matter is not political: "It’s not a political case. It’s not the contents of the message. it’s where he had it — it’s a public street."

Wasserman thinks he is being targeted for being a conservative and said that authorities have visited his home several times since March, providing reasons from neighbor complaints to breach of ordinances.

Some of the various bumper stickers on his Porsche include Trump urinating on a CNN logo, Trump urinating on the name "Biden," and the message "Freedom Isn't Free." A photo shows a Trump flag as well as a "F*** Biden" flag and "F*** Biden" banners on the front of the man's Long Beach home.

"[People] spit at me, drive by cursing me out," he said regarding local residents. The Post reported that the man's Porsche is damaged by scratches where people have keyed the vehicle.