The Texas DMV has revoked a Fort Worth man’s vanity license plate, which read “Jail 45,” a reference to President Donald Trump.
Jerry Balkenbush says the DMV initially issued the plate, which he affixed to his 2011 Mustang, but sent a letter less than a month later reversing the decision.
“In my view, [Trump] is a crook and needs to go to jail,” Balkenbush told the Texas Tribune. “I really feel like it was a violation of my freedom of speech against the government.”
The DMV told Dallas’ NBC Channel 5 that the “Jail 45” plate was revoked because, under state law and administrative code, it was derogatory.
More from the Tribune: The Texas DMV approves about 1,000 vanity plates each week. It rejects hundreds every month that are considered lewd or inappropriate. Last year, the Texas DMV rejected requests for plates that said “NUDES,” “FATT BTM” and “GAS SLUT,” among others. But rarely does the DMV issue a vanity plate only to take it back. That happened only 12 times last fiscal year, according to DMV spokesman Adam Shaivitz. Balkenbush’s plate was revoked after somebody complained.”
Balkenbush, an Air Force veteran and eighth-grade teacher, initially intended to fight the decision in court, but later backed down—and simply ordered a new plate saying, “OBAMA.”
