Images from a Halloween parade in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania have gone viral and are being widely criticized as racist and offensive.
A float in Thursday night's parade in Mt. Pleasant show a vehicle decorated with U.S. flags, and Donald Trump support signs. It also had people dressed as Secret Service agents with a person made to look like Vice President Kamala Harris in chains behind the float.
Many people are calling the float racist and offensive.
Mount Pleasant's Volunteer Fire Department organizes the parade and apologized in a statement on Facebook but didn't elaborate on how the float made it into the parade or who was behind it.
The department said, in part:
We do not share in the values represented by those participants, and we understand how it may have hurt or offended members of our community. We’re proud to have sponsored this parade for over 70 years and its goal has always been to support our community's children. We are committed to learning from this experience and ensuring that our future events celebrate the diversity and spirit of our community in a positive way.
The department adds participation in the parade is “first come, first serve” and that they handle making sure the parade is safe for participants and spectators.
Southwestern Pennsylvania is a vital location to both parties with Ms. Harris and Mr. Trump planning visits to Pittsburgh on Monday, the day before the election.