Two progressive activists were behind Trump Russian flag prank at CPAC

A progressive group called Americans Take Action was reportedly behind the Russian flags emblazoned with the word “Trump” that appeared at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) during the president’s speech Friday.

CPAC workers quickly collecting the flags from attendees waving them in the audience.

According to a report by Talking Points Memo, two young progressive activists from D.C., Jason Charter and Ryan Clayton with the group Americans Take Action, purchased tickets to the conference and handed out the nearly 1,000 flags to attendees as a prank.

Crowd at CPAC waving these little pro-Trump flags that look exactly like the Russian flag. Staffers quickly come around to confiscate them. pic.twitter.com/YhPpkwFCNc

— Peter Hamby (@PeterHamby) February 24, 2017

Someone handed out Trump Russian flags on the #CPAC2017 floor before Trump’s speech pic.twitter.com/uf1ADMt6ZL

— Taylor Lorenz (@TaylorLorenz) February 24, 2017

Charter, 22, told TPM the prank was meant to mock Trump’s relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and that most people didn’t seem to realize the red, white and blue flag was Russian.

“I asked people if they wanted a Trump flag and they took it,” Charter said. “Many Trump supporters were proudly waving their Russian Trump flag.”

{mosads}”I think it says a lot about Donald Trump’s base and their education level,” he told TPM. “I don’t want to insult anyone, but I think you should know what the Russian flag is. They are one of the world’s major powers, and it’s a pretty easily recognized flag.”

The group, Americans Take Action, describes itself on its website as “a network of populists who believe that the American government should represent we the people once again, that the economy should work for all of us, and that the internet should remain free and open for generations to come.”