ROY, Utah — It’s not political, it’s just a Halloween decoration.
The white sheet read: “Make America Great Again. Purge and Purify,” emblazoned in red paint.
While it was meant as an homage to the horror movie "The Purge: Election Year," which used "Keep America Great," as a tagline, neighbors, as well as social media users, called the display racist.
"Apparently I'm getting a lot of heat for it for being racist,” homeowner Kade Rogers said in a Facebook video. “In no way, shape, or form am I racist, at all. I believe we all bleed the same color. It doesn't matter what color you are, as long as you're a patriot."
So, Rogers slightly changed the wording:
“Keep America Great. Purge and Purify.”
Neighbor Nathan Peterson, who first thought the sign was a racist attack, now knows about the movie and feels differently about the edited sign.
“Now that we know it’s a Halloween prop, it’s not that big of a deal,” Peterson said. “I kind of feel bad for making it a big deal, but still, he chose the wrong wording at first.”
Rogers got death threats and his car was keyed, according to KTSU. Still, he is not taking down the decoration.
"I didn't mean for it to be political," Rogers, who is a supporter of President Donald Trump, told KSTU. "This is just a Halloween decoration. That's all this is."