Threatened with jail time for flying a giant American flag, Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis stands defiant against local bureaucrats out to shut down his patriotic display in multiple cities across the nation.
At a Glance
- Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis is fighting multiple cities over his giant American flags, facing $250 daily fines in Greenville, NC
- The flags—some measuring 3,200 square feet on 130-foot poles—are 15 times larger than local ordinances permit
- Lemonis, originally an orphan from Lebanon adopted by Americans, vows the flags will never come down: “Not when they sue, not when I lose, not if they take me to jail”
- The CEO has installed 220 flags across America totaling 704,000 square feet, with a goal of reaching one million square feet
- Cities claim safety concerns, but Lemonis sees the lawsuits as government overreach against patriotic displays
Big Government vs. Old Glory
When did celebrating America with our nation’s flag become a criminal offense? That’s what Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis must be wondering as he faces lawsuits in multiple cities for the “crime” of flying massive American flags at his 200+ store locations.
The latest battleground is Greenville, North Carolina, where city officials voted 4-2 to sue Lemonis over a 3,200-square-foot Stars and Stripes flying proudly on a 130-foot pole. Their weapon of choice? A fine of $250 per day for violating local size regulations—because apparently there’s such a thing as “too patriotic” in America these days.
Lemonis isn’t backing down an inch. The Lebanese-born orphan who came to America at nine months old and was adopted by a Miami couple has built his business on American values and sees the flag as a personal symbol of gratitude. “The flag is my love letter to a country that gave me a chance when I didn’t have one, gave me a free market to make money, gave me freedom to be me and gave me courage to try anything,” Lemonis declared in a defiant statement that shows exactly why the entrepreneurial spirit still matters in America.
A Multi-City Assault on Patriotism
Greenville is far from the only battlefield in this war on Lemonis’s patriotic display. The businessman is simultaneously fighting Sevierville, Tennessee officials who have already filed a lawsuit with a court date set for later this month. Other cities like Statesville, North Carolina; Morgan Hill, California; and Onalaska, Wisconsin have all targeted Camping World’s flags in recent years. It’s a coordinated assault hiding behind bureaucratic red tape, with officials consistently claiming they’re not against the American flag itself—just its size. How convenient.
“The flag isn’t coming down. No matter the consequences. I am an only child. My parents are both passed. I have no kids. I have my faith, my businesses, my wife and my principles”, says Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis
This pattern of targeting patriotic displays raises an obvious question: Why are local governments so invested in regulating the exact dimensions of American flags? The excuses range from “safety concerns” to “visual distractions,” but the reality seems much simpler—control. When Lemonis notes that his flags have FAA clearance and have flown safely for two decades, it exposes these regulatory crackdowns for what they truly are: bureaucratic power trips at the expense of American values.
A Million Square Feet of Freedom
While city officials nitpick over zoning codes, Lemonis is planning his next patriotic move. He’s already installed 220 flags totaling an impressive 704,000 square feet across the United States, but that’s just the beginning. His goal? One million square feet of American flags flying over Camping World locations nationwide. It’s the kind of bold, unapologetic celebration of America that was once commonplace but now somehow registers as controversial in places that should know better.
“Not when they sue, not when I lose, not if they take me to jail, the flag is not coming down”, concludes Lemoins.
The real problem here isn’t about safety or zoning—it’s about a growing discomfort with bold expressions of patriotism. When flying an American flag becomes cause for government intervention, we’ve entered dangerous territory. Lemonis, who was raised in a family car dealership business where flying the American flag was tradition, understands what many bureaucrats seem to have forgotten: displays of national pride shouldn’t require a permission slip from the government. Patriots like Lemonis remind us all what real conviction looks like in an era where too many fold at the first sign of resistance.