University of Florida undergraduate Matt Pesek said he wore a Republican T-shirt to Michelle Obama’s speech on campus Monday to “make a little bit of a political statement.”
He didn’t make it past the door. Pesek said he was turned away from the event for wearing a McCain/Palin 2008 campaign T-shirt.
Conservative media outlets first reported Pesek’s story. The Drudge Report brought further attention by linking to one of those stories.
A UF spokewoman said the Obama campaign rented the O’Connell Center for the first lady’s speech and could turn anyone away that it wanted. A campaign official didn’t immediately return a message seeking comment.
It wouldn’t be the first time that someone was kicked out of a political event for advertising views in opposition to the speaker.
Former President George W. Bush received criticism for a similar practice. The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the case of two people barred from a Bush event in 2005 for having a “No More Blood For Oil” bumper sticker on their car.
Pesek said the Obama campaign’s actions keeping him from the first lady’s speech conflict with the president’s recent comments that he works for everyone.
“I think it’s very hypocritical of them,” he said.
UPDATE: An Obama campaign official said “anyone and everyone” is allowed to attend its events, but the individual in this case was asked to leave by university officials after he became disruptive in line. Pesek denies that he was disruptive.
