Upside Down American Flag Flies Over Milford Shopping Plaza

“It’s a distress signal,” said property owner Kevin Meehan, a reference to political strife partially tied to Donald Trump’s conviction.

Jun 3, 2024 11:19 am EDT | Updated Jun 3, 2024 11:26 am EDT

MILFORD, MA — A prominent local businessman flew an upside down American flag at one of his Milford shopping plazas over the weekend, which he said was his way of sending a message about a “nation in distress” in the wake of the conviction last week of former president Donald Trump.

The upside down flag was hoisted — paired with the flag of Israel — behind the Mattress Firm store at the Lowe’s plaza along Fortune Boulevard. Through an LLC, Imperial Cars owner Kevin Meehan owns the shopping center.

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In an interview Monday, Meehan said he’s received hundreds of calls about the display, allowing him to have conversations about what he sees as major problems in the U.S. — everything from “being invaded” by millions of migrant refugees to President Joe Biden’s age and endless spending in Ukraine. He also flew flags outside his Mendon car dealerships upside down.

“We’re a nation in distress,” he said. “We’re at the end, this is 1930 f—ing Germany with Hitler.”

Mattress Firm distanced itself from the flag. The shopping plaza’s flag pole is positioned behind the store.

“The flags near our Milford store are displayed by the property owner and do not represent the views of Mattress Firm or our employees,” Jack Barbour, a spokesperson for Mattress Firm, said in an email Monday.

Meehan added the flag of Israel, he said, because he feels the nation is “our greatest supporter.” Meehan defended Israel’s ongoing bombardment of Gaza. He offered to share a video of members of Hamas microwaving a baby as proof of Israel’s need to defend itself, and said Hamas is responsible for the estimated thousands of dead Palestinian children in Gaza.

Meehan is a longtime Republican donor in Massachusetts, having given thousands over the years to local GOP politicians like state Sen. Ryan Fattman, R-Sutton, former governor Charlie Baker, former lieutenant governor Karyn Polito, state Rep. Shawn Dooley, R-Wrentham, and Trump-endorsed 2022 gubernatorial candidate Geoffrey Diehl.

But he also said he’s not strictly a Trump supporter, or even a Republican, he said. He cited Democrat Marie Parente, the former Milford state House representative, as the best politician he ever knew. Still, he disparaged Biden and former president Barack Obama, who he blames for many of the problems he sees today. He does want Trump to win the presidency this year.

“Trump gave people a voice, he gave uneducated people along with others a voice,” he said.

Meehan is one of the largest property owners in the area. Meehan Realty Management Corp. in August bought the Granite Heights Marketplace plaza, previously home to Staples and Bed, Bath, and Beyond. A company linked to Meehan is also pursuing the development of a vacant parcel along Route 16 into a large wholesale warehouse.

The federal “flag code” says that the stars and strips should always be flown with the stars on top, except as, “a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.” Trump supporters across the country have flown the flag upside down in the days since he was convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records — the first ever criminal conviction for a former U.S. president.

The conservative Heritage Foundation posted an upside down flag on X, formerly known as Twitter, after the verdict. The symbol was also seen outside Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s home in 2021 following the Jan. 6 riot. One even appeared outside Trump Tower on Friday, according to the Associated Press.

Meehan said he was in the process Monday morning of returning all the flags to their usual state. He said he hopes he got through to people, especially those who have checked out of the political process.

“I just felt like there’s nothing I could do. I’m watching our country fall apart,” he said.