A man was reportedly removed from a Delta Airlines flight after wearing a t-shirt featuring a graphic of former President Donald Trump giving the middle finger, accompanied by a reference to the viral “Hawk Tuah” meme. The incident occurred at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport on Saturday, August 31, and was captured in a video posted on Reddit.
The video, shared in the Reddit group r/delta, shows the man wearing a black t-shirt with an image of Trump wearing American flag-tinted sunglasses and holding up both middle fingers. The shirt also displayed the phrase “Hawk Tuah spit on that thang,” a nod to the popular Hawk Tuah meme.
As the man was being escorted off the plane, he announced, “I’m getting kicked off because of my shirt,” while walking down the aisle with his luggage. He added, “And this is her reporting — stupid-a** Wendy,” referring to the flight attendant who accompanied him to the exit.
According to the Reddit user who posted the video, SKBeachGirl, the incident began when a flight attendant approached the man as he waited to board the plane. The attendant informed him that he needed to change his t-shirt or risk being removed from the flight, as someone had lodged a complaint about his attire. In response, the man initially complied by turning his t-shirt inside out and boarded the plane.
However, shortly before takeoff, a Delta employee entered the plane and escorted the man off, as he had flipped his shirt back to display the original graphic, according to a report by the New York Post.
Delta’s contract of carriage states that the airline has the right to remove passengers from flights if their conduct, attire, hygiene, or odor creates an unreasonable risk of offense or annoyance to others. This policy is intended to ensure the comfort and safety of all passengers and Delta employees.
Earlier this year, another Delta Airlines passenger was nearly removed from a flight for attempting to board without wearing a bra, highlighting the airline’s enforcement of its conduct policies.
