A teenager in a plaid shirt was removed from U.S. President Donald Trump’s rally in Montana late last week after making animated facial expressions while standing directly behind the president.
On Thursday, Trump addressed a crowd in Billings, Montana, but a young man standing on the stage behind the president captured much of the attention – well, at least the internet’s attention.
As Trump spoke, the teenager, dubbed “Plaid Shirt Guy,” became very animated with his facial expressions. At one point, Plaid Shirt Guy appeared to mouth the word “What?” with an inquisitive look on his face.
However, Plaid Shirt Guy didn’t last long behind Trump as he and two other people were asked to leave the stage.
Speaking with CNN, Plaid Shirt Guy, whose real name is Tyler Linfesty, said he wasn’t told why he was asked to leave, but believes it was for not agreeing with what Trump was saying.
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“Before the rally, they told us that you have to be enthusiastic, you have to be clapping, you have to be cheering for Donald Trump,” Linfesty said. “And I wasn’t doing that because I wasn’t enthusiastic, I wasn’t happy with what he was saying.”
Linfesty said the organizers tried to make him and his friends wear “Make America Great Again” hats, and he refused to.
“So, the woman came in and said ‘I’m going to replace you,’” Linfesty said of being asked to leave. “I just walked off. I knew I was getting kicked out for not being enthusiastic enough so I decided to not to fight it.”
Linfesty said he was “respectfully” questioned by the Secret Service, before being told to leave the venue.
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