SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
The iconic shot of Juli Briskman giving the Trump motorcade the finger in October 2017. (Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)
'Sweet Justice': Juli Briskman, Who Lost Her Job After Flipping Off Trump, Unseats GOP Incumbent on County Board
"She flipped off the president, got fired, and now got elected."
Nov 05, 2019
On Tuesday, two years after she was fired over a viral photo of her giving President Donald Trump's motorcade the middle finger in Sterling, Virginia, Juli Briskman was elected to the state's Loudoun County Board of Supervisors in her first foray into electoral politics.
The first-time candidate unseated eight-year Republican incumbent Suzanne Volpe by a vote of 5586-4721.
"It's feeling fantastic, it's feeling surreal," Briskman toldThe Washington Post Tuesday night. "The last two years have been quite a ride."
A photo of Briskman, on her bicycle, flipping off the president's motorcade as it left Trump's golf course in Sterling went viral in Ocotober 2017. Briskman said in an interview in 2018 that she was incensed by Trump's ending of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and his reaction to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
Shortly thereafter, Briskman lost her job as a marketing executive at government contracting service company Akima LLC.
Briskman said in September 2018 that the experience of losing her job for political expression spurred her run for office and dismissed the idea that the office of the president is inherently worthy of respect.
"I've gotten some feedback that folks say you should respect the president. Even if you don't like what they're doing, you shouldn't show this sort of disdain," said Briskman. "And I simply disagree, and I think the Constitution grants me that privilege."
"She flipped off the president, got fired, and now got elected," tweeted law professor Jennifer Taub. "Sweet."
The board acts as an administrative body for county government and includes in its oversight the Trump National Golf Club Washington D.C., which is located in Potomac Falls, Virginia.
That coincidence wasn't lost on Briskman.
"Isn't that sweet justice?" she said to The Washington Post.
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
On Tuesday, two years after she was fired over a viral photo of her giving President Donald Trump's motorcade the middle finger in Sterling, Virginia, Juli Briskman was elected to the state's Loudoun County Board of Supervisors in her first foray into electoral politics.
The first-time candidate unseated eight-year Republican incumbent Suzanne Volpe by a vote of 5586-4721.
"It's feeling fantastic, it's feeling surreal," Briskman toldThe Washington Post Tuesday night. "The last two years have been quite a ride."
A photo of Briskman, on her bicycle, flipping off the president's motorcade as it left Trump's golf course in Sterling went viral in Ocotober 2017. Briskman said in an interview in 2018 that she was incensed by Trump's ending of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and his reaction to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
Shortly thereafter, Briskman lost her job as a marketing executive at government contracting service company Akima LLC.
Briskman said in September 2018 that the experience of losing her job for political expression spurred her run for office and dismissed the idea that the office of the president is inherently worthy of respect.
"I've gotten some feedback that folks say you should respect the president. Even if you don't like what they're doing, you shouldn't show this sort of disdain," said Briskman. "And I simply disagree, and I think the Constitution grants me that privilege."
"She flipped off the president, got fired, and now got elected," tweeted law professor Jennifer Taub. "Sweet."
The board acts as an administrative body for county government and includes in its oversight the Trump National Golf Club Washington D.C., which is located in Potomac Falls, Virginia.
That coincidence wasn't lost on Briskman.
"Isn't that sweet justice?" she said to The Washington Post.
On Tuesday, two years after she was fired over a viral photo of her giving President Donald Trump's motorcade the middle finger in Sterling, Virginia, Juli Briskman was elected to the state's Loudoun County Board of Supervisors in her first foray into electoral politics.
The first-time candidate unseated eight-year Republican incumbent Suzanne Volpe by a vote of 5586-4721.
"It's feeling fantastic, it's feeling surreal," Briskman toldThe Washington Post Tuesday night. "The last two years have been quite a ride."
A photo of Briskman, on her bicycle, flipping off the president's motorcade as it left Trump's golf course in Sterling went viral in Ocotober 2017. Briskman said in an interview in 2018 that she was incensed by Trump's ending of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and his reaction to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
Shortly thereafter, Briskman lost her job as a marketing executive at government contracting service company Akima LLC.
Briskman said in September 2018 that the experience of losing her job for political expression spurred her run for office and dismissed the idea that the office of the president is inherently worthy of respect.
"I've gotten some feedback that folks say you should respect the president. Even if you don't like what they're doing, you shouldn't show this sort of disdain," said Briskman. "And I simply disagree, and I think the Constitution grants me that privilege."
"She flipped off the president, got fired, and now got elected," tweeted law professor Jennifer Taub. "Sweet."
The board acts as an administrative body for county government and includes in its oversight the Trump National Golf Club Washington D.C., which is located in Potomac Falls, Virginia.
That coincidence wasn't lost on Briskman.
"Isn't that sweet justice?" she said to The Washington Post.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.