Philadelphia, PA – Posters proclaiming Vice President Kamala Harris as the “official candidate of the Philadelphia Eagles” have surfaced in at least six Philadelphia bus shelters, sparking confusion and concern.
The posters, featuring a profile of someone resembling Harris wearing an Eagles helmet and holding a football, were reported by WCAU-TV. They prominently display the Eagles’ logo, Harris’ name in large letters, and the phrase “official candidate of the Philadelphia Eagles.”
Residents React to the ‘Psychological Effect’
“It’s encoded in people’s brains, this picture of Kamala Harris with the Eagles,” said city resident Mathilda Jones in an interview with WCAU-TV. “So no matter what happens now, the psychological effect is there. It’s done.”
The posters include a link to Philadelphiaeagles.com/vote, a legitimate page on the Eagles’ website aimed at promoting voter participation. However, there is no mention of an endorsement for Harris on this page. The situation has caused quite a stir, with residents like Phillip Carter expressing their concerns:
“by definition it’s wrong … and yes, they’re removing it, but it’s still here. It’s not going any place.”
Eagles and Harris Campaign Respond
In response to the growing controversy, the Philadelphia Eagles issued a statement on Monday, stating, “We are aware counterfeit political ads are being circulated and are working with our advertising partner to have them removed.” A spokesperson for Kamala Harris’ campaign simply stated “no comment” when asked about the posters by WCAU.
Removing the Counterfeit Ads
The Eagles are reportedly working to remove the posters by Tuesday morning, according to WCAU. However, the impact may already be irreversible, as some residents believe the damage is done. Meanwhile, Steve Keeley of WTXF-TV caught up with a man attempting to cover one of the posters with photocopies of the Eagles’ statement labeling them as “counterfeit political ads.”
WCAU reports that the origin of these posters remains unknown. They appear to have been strategically placed without any legitimate backing, causing further speculation about their purpose and intent.
Bus Shelter Vandalism and Security Breach
Intersection Media, the New York-based company owning the bus shelters where the posters were found, released a statement condemning the unauthorized use of their ad spaces. “We are aware that several of our bus shelters located in Philadelphia have been vandalized and that the paid advertising copy in each of those shelters has been replaced with unauthorized copy. While our bus shelters have locks that typically prevent the installation of unauthorized copy by non-Intersection staff, occasionally people find a way to unlock the ad box and insert unauthorized copy.”
The company clarified that neither the Eagles nor Intersection had any involvement in the creation or placement of these counterfeit ads. They assured the public that their staff would remove the unauthorized copies as soon as possible.
City Officials Join the Clarification Effort
City officials also weighed in, emphasizing that these were not digital ads placed by the Harris campaign, the Eagles, SEPTA, the City of Philadelphia, or Intersection, the media agency responsible for the transit ad space. “This was not a digital breach; whomever is responsible for the illegally placed posters broke into the securely covered shelter ad space and somehow put the posters in the space,” stated a city spokesperson. Intersection has committed to conducting a full inventory of all bus shelters to remove any illegal posters.
Conclusion
While the Eagles work to dismantle the false association with Kamala Harris, the incident serves as a reminder of how quickly misinformation can spread and the challenges in combating it once it’s out in the public sphere.
