An Alabama resident will be allowed to keep his license plate invoking “Let’s Go Brandon,” a coded insult aimed at President Joe Biden.
Nathan Kirk, the owner of the Blount County Tactical gun store, told the Washington Examiner on Wednesday that he received a letter from the Alabama Department of Revenue’s Motor Vehicle Division. The letter, a copy of which he shared, apologized for “any inconveniences” asking Kirk to return his license plate may have caused and said it had determined that the plate would not be recalled.
The specialized license plate, for which he paid $700 last year, had initially been recalled, and the department sent a letter saying it considered the license plate — which reads “LGBF JB,” implicitly representing “Let’s Go Brandon F*** Joe Biden” — to be “offensive to the peace and dignity of the State of Alabama.”
The original letter says Kirk’s registration for the personalized license plate would not be issued or renewed and that he would have to return the plate within 10 days or face fines ranging from $500 to $1,000, in addition to having the vehicle’s registration revoked.
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Following a wave of media coverage of the license plate, which is yellow and features the “Don’t Tread on Me” Gadsden flag design, Kirk said the department had a change of heart.
“State sent a letter saying, not quote, but, ‘We’re sorry, Mr. Kirk. We really apologize. You’re a lot bigger and stronger than us,'” Kirk joked on The Line with Andrew McLain podcast Monday.
Kirk claimed the “F” in his license plate does not stand for a curse word but instead means “forget.” He argued that the state cannot prove otherwise, according to AL.com.
The Washington Examiner contacted the Alabama Department of Revenue’s Motor Vehicle Division for comment.
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The phrase “Let’s go Brandon” comes from an Oct. 2, 2021, interview between an NBC News sports reporter and Brandon Brown, a NASCAR driver. Fans behind the reporter chanted, “F*** Joe Biden,” but the reporter interpreted it as “Let’s go Brandon.”
The phrase has grown in popularity as a way to express disapproval of Biden. For example, it was used by Pennsylvania Senate candidate David McCormick in an ad that aired during Super Bowl LVI.
