OUTLAW COUNTRY

MAGA Candidate Rebrands His Radio Station ‘Trump Country’ With President’s Face

The station head wants to run for Congress to “give Trump the support he needs.”

The head of a country music station, which was rebranded as “Trump Country,” plans to run for Congress to “give Trump the support he needs.” Jim Schwartzel, owner of WHEL radio in Fort Myers, Florida, gave the station a makeover earlier this year, plastering Trump references all over its on-air promotions and advertising itself with a picture of the president wearing a cowboy hat. “We didn’t ask for permission,” said Schwartzel, who claims to have tripled the station’s rating since the rebrand. On-air, the station promises to “Make Country Great Again,” and features a Trump impersonator threatening to “deport” listeners by offering them a free cruise in the “Gulf of America.” Schwartzel is seeking the Republican nomination for the U.S. House seat being vacated by Rep. Byron Donalds. Schwartzel says he avoids appearing on the show to comply with neutrality laws for congressional candidates. “We don’t talk about the politics of deportations,” he told CBS News. “But we twisted it to be entertaining.” Trump has long sought to clamp down on unlicensed use of his name and image, but has found the practice to be nearly impossible to enforce after assuming office.