Ashland County Fair Removes Democrat Booth After Offensive Buttons About Trump Spark Sheriff Investigation
I woke up this morning scrolling through local Ohio news and saw the story from Ashland County Fair, and wow — it’s gotten a lot more serious than I first thought. On Thursday night, September 18, 2025, fair officials removed the Ashland County Democratic Party’s booth for the rest of fair week after complaints about “offensive buttons” being displayed at their booth. These buttons included texts like “Is he dead yet?” and “One day, we will wake up to his obituary,” plus smaller text like “8647,” which many people say is a political code referencing President Donald Trump.
What stands out is how quickly authorities jumped in. Ashland County Sheriff Kurt Schneider confirmed the investigation. He said he plans to reach out to the U.S. Secret Service to look more closely at what these buttons mean and who’s responsible.
The fair board published a statement saying they had been made aware of the display and that because the fair is family-friendly, they do not allow this kind of content. They apologized to anyone who saw the buttons and asked the Democrat booth to pack up and leave for the rest of the week.
Heather Sample, the chair of the Ashland County Democratic Party, said she is waiting to consult with a lawyer and has not made a full public statement yet.
It’s also clear that while many are calling the buttons “offensive” and even provocative, no formal charges have been filed so far. The sheriff’s office is investigating. It hasn’t been announced whether the messages cross legal lines or what exactly “8647” legally implies — whether it’s a threat or simply provocative speech.
Fairgoers described being shocked. What’s normally meant to be a fun, safe place for families felt different when political messages involving the President, especially ones that mention death or obituary, are on display. There are questions now: where is the line between free speech and threats? What should a community venue allow? And what responsibility do organizers have for what vendors display?
The booth’s removal is final for this fair week, according to the Fair Board. They clearly stated the Democratic Party won’t be allowed to keep their booth open the rest of the fair.
What this tells me — and what many in Ohio are noticing — is that local events are no longer immune from national political tensions. The moment one display sparked public worry, local government got involved. Fair organizers, law enforcement, and the public all are now part of a conversation about how strong political speech can be handled in community spaces.
We’ll be watching to see whether any charges come of this, whether the Secret Service actually steps in, and how the Democratic Party responds once they’ve had legal advice. But for now, the facts are pretty strong: buttons with provocative text about President Trump were displayed; fair officials called them out, removed the booth; sheriff investigating; party chair staying quiet pending lawyer input.
