Brandon Straka, a pro-Trump activist, was kicked off an American Airlines flight out of New York after he refused to wear a mask.
"I was just removed from my flight for not wearing a mask," he tweeted on Wednesday. "1st time this has happened. Not a federal law. @AmericanAir staff standing over me telling me it's THE LAW. So much for 'please respect those who can not wear a mask.' When I pointed out this wasn't a law I was removed."
The New York Post said Straka was headed to Oklahoma, via Dallas, to attend President Donald Trump's Saturday rally.
The incident can reportedly be heard in a video taken by New York Times reporter Astead Herndon, who was on the plane.
An American Airlines representative confirmed to the Post that Straka was asked to deplane for refusing to wear a mask.
"After he refused to comply with the instructions provided by the flight crew, our team members asked him to deplane," the spokesperson said. "He deplaned and the flight departed the gate four minutes late at 12:34 p.m.
"Mr. Straka stated to our airport team members that he would comply with our policies, and was rebooked on a later flight. Our team is reviewing this incident, and we have reached out to Mr. Straka to get more information."
The Hill noted that Straka founded the "#WalkAway Campaign" in 2018 in an effort to encourage people to walk away from the Democratic Party.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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