00:00A pickle company pulled out of the Great American State Fair over a Confederate flag and now
00:05conservatives are dumping their jars in the trash. So how did Mount Olive become a political
00:10battleground? Here's what's happening. The Great American State Fair opened in late June on the
00:15National Mall, a Trump-backed event marking America's 250th birthday organized by a White
00:21House-aligned group called Freedom 250. North Carolina's state government skipped it due to
00:26cost, so private sponsors funded the state's booth instead. But here's where it shakes up. Inside
00:32that booth, a promotional video meant to showcase the state included a Confederate flag. Photos and
00:38clips spread all over the internet and the backlash was immediate. Governor Josh Stein condemned it,
00:44saying the flag does not represent the North Carolina they love. The booth's sponsors said
00:48the image was never approved and pulled the video. Which brings us to the pickles. Mount Olive said it
00:53was invited to represent the state, was unaware the flag appeared in that video, and withdrew,
00:59adding it stands on values of human dignity, opportunity, and freedom. That withdrawal is what
01:04split the room. Supporters online say pulling out was the obvious call and that no brand wants to be
01:10associated with that flag. But critics on the right called it virtue signaling and launched a boycott,
01:15arguing the company cave to outrage over a flag many of them don't see as disqualifying. Now all of this
01:21matters because the loudest reaction came from the right, but most major conservative outlets barely
01:25touched it at the national level, even as conservative audience were the ones who drove the boycott.
01:30As of this report, Mount Olive has not backed down. So if this was your company on the line,
01:35would you pull out? Or was this just an overreaction? Let us know in the comments and follow us here
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